The Kings’ 2026-27 season is already starting to come into focus, and the first two dates on the calendar say plenty about what’s ahead.
Sacramento is set to open the regular season on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles against the Clippers, according to KCRA’s Sean Cunningham, who cited sources Monday. Three days later, the Kings will play their home opener at Golden 1 Center on Oct. 24 against the Golden State Warriors, setting up an early test against one of the league’s most closely watched teams heading into the year.
According to sources, the Sacramento Kings will open the 2026-27 NBA season on Oct. 21 in LA against the Clippers.
The home opener at Golden 1 Center is set for Oct. 24 against the Golden State Warriors.
- Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) August 11, 2026
The timing fits the bigger picture around Sacramento right now. The franchise is coming off a historically rough 2025-26 season and has already started reshaping the roster. DeMar DeRozan was waived this offseason, and the Kings used the draft to bring in Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp as the organization leans harder into a younger group.
That reset isn’t limited to the perimeter. In the front court, Dylan Cardwell and Max Raynaud both got run last season and are part of the same youth movement the Kings seem to be building around.
At the same time, the veteran picture is still unsettled. Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Malik Monk have all come up in trade rumors this offseason, and it’s possible one or more of them won’t be on the roster when the season tips off on Oct.
- Jerry Reynolds, the longtime Kings broadcaster, has publicly pushed back on the idea that Sacramento should feel forced to move Sabonis.
So while the dates are known, the roster around them may still change. The full 82-game schedule is due Thursday, and that release should give a clearer look at how Sacramento plans to navigate a season that already feels like a crossroads.
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