The Sacramento Kings are heading into the 2026-27 season with a roster that still feels like a work in progress, and Josh Lloyd isn’t pretending otherwise.
On Sactown Sports’ The Matt George Podcast, the Locked On Fantasy Basketball host laid out a blunt view of where Sacramento stands after a 22-60 season that left the Kings 14th in the Western Conference. He didn’t go as far as calling them the league’s worst team, but he also made it clear that a bottom-tier finish wouldn’t be shocking.
“I don’t think I’d put them last, but I don’t think it’s outrageous to have them there,” Lloyd said.
A big part of the Kings’ hope rests on 7th overall pick Darius Acuff Jr., who arrives with a strong college résumé from Arkansas. Acuff averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 44% from three, and he picked up SEC Player of the Year and Consensus All-American honors before Sacramento took him seventh overall.
Still, Lloyd sees the rookie as more of a question mark than a sure thing. He pointed to whether Acuff’s shooting will carry over right away, while also flagging concerns about his size and defense.
“I’d like to see how it plays out,” Lloyd said. “He might be good. But defense, size, and, despite the good shooting season, I’m still a little bit concerned about it.”
Those doubts weren’t limited to the rookie. Lloyd also took aim at Sacramento’s addition of De’Andre Hunter, saying the forward may not bring the defensive value some expect. He added that Keegan Murray still needs to make another jump as a scorer, especially after a career that has often kept him from handling the ball more.
Zach LaVine remains one of the most intriguing pieces in the mix. Lloyd described him as a high-end scorer, but also questioned how cleanly he fits with the rest of the roster. LaVine averaged 25 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists on 49% shooting and 40% from three during the best stretches of his NBA career, yet Lloyd wondered whether Sacramento has enough complementary talent around him.
Domantas Sabonis is another major part of the conversation, especially with Sacramento reportedly looking for significant value in any potential trade. Lloyd believes the Kings may eventually have to soften their stance.
“The only reason that would happen is you get to a stage where it’s after this season and there’s only one year left,” Lloyd said. “So I think it has to be the Kings that make that decision to change their valuation on him.”
If there’s one area where Lloyd sounded especially concerned, it was on defense. With Acuff and LaVine in the backcourt and Sabonis in the frontcourt, he thinks Sacramento has a real chance to land at the very bottom of the league on that end.
“I’d say they’d be the favorite to do that,” Lloyd said.
For the Kings, that makes the 2026-27 season feel like a referendum on how quickly Acuff can become a real piece. Sacramento has added young talent and is hoping for healthier seasons from Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and De’Andre Hunter, but the broader picture still comes with plenty of uncertainty.
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