Sacramento’s 2026-27 season comes with a pretty clear outline: the Kings are rebuilding, but they still have enough pieces to keep things interesting. Nobody should be penciling them into the playoff race after last season’s 22-win finish, yet there’s still a path to obvious improvement. And for that to happen, a small group of players is going to carry most of the load.
The names everyone already knows - Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and Darius Acuff Jr. - are part of the equation. But the real swing factors for Sacramento are a few guys who need to move the needle in a big way.
Keegan Murray sits at the top of that list. The 26-year-old forward is heading into his fifth NBA season after a frustrating 2025-26 campaign that was slowed by injuries, and the Kings need him to look much more like the player they’ve been waiting on.
His five-year, $140 million deal starts this season, so there’s real pressure attached to every stretch of play. Sacramento has already seen flashes of what Murray can do on both ends - he has the tools to be the team’s best shooter from deep and one of its top defenders - but the next step is putting it all together over a full season.
If he gets close to that two-way ceiling, the Kings’ outlook changes fast.
Malik Monk is another player whose role could be bigger than people expect. As Sacramento leans into its younger core, including guards like Nique Clifford and Emanuel Sharp coming off the bench, Monk looks set to run the second unit as its primary ball-handler.
That matters because the Kings need real production from the backup backcourt, not just minutes. Monk’s 2025-26 season was his worst since arriving in Sacramento, but it also leaves the door open for a bounce-back.
If he can give the Kings anything close to a Sixth Man of the Year-level impact again, that would go a long way.
Then there’s Maxime Raynaud, who might actually have the strongest case of all for that kind of award. After earning All-Rookie honors, Raynaud is now backing up three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, but his role doesn’t make him any less important.
He spent part of his offseason with the French national team, and Sacramento is hoping that work helps fuel a sophomore jump. Even with a smaller role, he was already one of the team’s most impactful rookies, and another step forward would matter in a big way.
Raynaud also carries added significance because the Kings need a clearer picture of life after Sabonis. His future in Sacramento is trending toward a finish line, and that makes this season a real test for Raynaud as much as anyone.
If he proves ready, the Kings get a better read on what comes next. If not, the questions only grow louder.
In Other News...
Kings Already Face One Alex Karaban Decision That Really Matters
ESPNs projected depth chart already gives a hint of how the Kings may view Alex Karaban, slotting the rookie as a third-string small forward and fifth-string power forward. That kind of placement is hardly unusual for a late first-round pick, but it does underline the challenge ahead for Sacramento as it tries to turn a traded-up draft choice into a meaningful piece rather than just another name buried behind veterans.
Scott Perry spent picks to move near the end of the first round and bring Karaban in at the 2026 NBA Draft, so the real question now is how the Kings plan to get him on the floor often enough to matter. The depth chart is only a projection, and for a team that made that kind of investment, even small shifts in his role could say a lot about how quickly Sacramento wants to accelerate his development. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Still Have A Late Offseason Question Worth Watching
The late-summer roster shuffle around the NBA still has a few moving parts, and the Cavaliers are one of the teams worth watching as the calendar creeps toward the Oct. 20 start of the 2026-27 season. With major names already changing addresses, from LeBron James landing with the 76ers to Giannis Antetokounmpo going to the Heat, the leagues landscape has been reshaped in a hurry, but a handful of clubs are still leaving themselves room for one more decision before camp fully takes over.
Open roster spots remain around the league, and that leaves the Cavaliers with at least one unresolved question as they sort out the final edges of their roster. Some expected business, like Jalen Duren returning to his current team, may get settled without much drama, but other situations could still turn on a signing or a waiver before opening night. For a team trying to make sure every spot is accounted for, the next move may be less about splash than about timing. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Could Be Back On The Kings Radar Soon
Jonathan Kumingas next move has already been shaped by an eye on the future, and that is exactly why he remains one of the more intriguing names for teams like the Kings to monitor. He signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves that includes a player option for the second season, and his agent, Aaron Turner, said the choice was made with basketball fit and flexibility in mind rather than simply taking the biggest immediate payday.
Kuminga had previously passed on a richer extension from the Golden State Warriors, a reminder that the long view matters here as much as any single contract. With his camp positioning him for the 2027 free agency market and multiple cap-space teams expected to have interest next offseason, Sacramento will have reason to stay plugged in if its own roster plans and appetite for another swing at upside line up at the right time. [Read more 🡒]