The Sacramento Kings are heading into 2026-2027 with the kind of preseason buzz nobody wants: plenty of people around the league are already penciling them in near the bottom. The Ringer was the latest outlet to pile on, ranking Sacramento dead last and offering a pretty grim read on where things stand.
And sure, the concerns are real. Doug Christie has questions to answer as head coach.
Darius Acuff Jr. still has plenty of work ahead of him. The defense remains in rough shape.
The Ben Simmons signing, at best, looks like a strange swing with a limited ceiling.
But stopping there misses part of the picture.
The Kings also have some reasons to think this season could look different in spots, even if the overall record doesn’t. Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are both positioned to make major sophomore jumps. If Sacramento gives them the right minutes, Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp could be in line for breakout rookie seasons as well.
There’s also the return of players who missed time last year, including Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray. That matters.
Last season was a wash because of poor roster construction and injuries, but the offseason has brought both changes and reinforcements. This year is another step in the process, not the finish line.
No one is pretending Sacramento is ready to turn this into a winning season overnight. The rebuild is still a long way from paying off, and it’s going to take more time, along with more roster and coaching movement, before the franchise gets where it wants to be.
That’s why another rough year, like 2025-2026 and probably 2026-2027, should not come as a shock. Still, the Kings have made some progress, even if it’s only a little. There are players on this roster who could help push things forward.
The Ringer may end up being right that Sacramento finishes near the bottom again. But the 30th spot might be a bit too harsh with teams like the Bucks, Pelicans, and Clippers also in the mix. At the very least, the Kings should have a chance to show what they’ve got.
In Other News...
Nique Clifford Is Already Feeling Pressure In Sacramentos Crowded Wing Battle
Nique Clifford arrived in Sacramento as the No. 24 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, acquired in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the early part of his rookie season was a reminder that first-round status does not guarantee an easy path. He needed time to adjust, but there were encouraging signs along the way, especially in how his three-point shooting started to come around as he found his footing.
The next step may be tougher than the first. Clifford heads into the 2026-2027 season facing a crowded wing rotation that includes returning veterans plus two new rookies, Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp, both of whom bring reputation and rsum as shooters and defenders. For a player still trying to turn rookie-year growth into a real role, the margin for error in Sacramento is already looking thin. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Have One Chance To Shut Down This Brutal National Take
The Kings enter the new season with plenty to prove after national projections left them near the bottom of the NBA standings, a harsh read that has landed on both ends of the roster. Sacramento is asking for more from a group that has been questioned for its offensive talent and its ability to hold up defensively, while also leaning on the return of Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis as it tries to steady the rotation.
Ben Simmons is part of the answer on the defensive side, with the former All-Defensive First Team guard expected to bring some much-needed resistance to a group that needs it. There is also optimism around rookie Darius Acuff Jr. adding offense, but for the Kings, the bigger task is turning all of those pieces into a team that looks nothing like the easy target many around the league think it will be. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Center Depth Could Decide How Far Sacramento Really Goes
The Kings frontcourt has become one of the more interesting parts of their 2026 outlook, and the center spot sits right at the heart of it. Domantas Sabonis remains the anchor, but Sacramentos planning around him has only grown more important after the injury issues he dealt with in 2025. Behind him, the roster now includes Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Precious Achiuwa and Jonathan Mogbo, giving the team a mix of size, energy and developmental upside as it tries to keep the middle of the floor stable.
What makes this group worth watching is how different the paths are for each player. Raynaud and Cardwell bring their own physical tools, Achiuwa offers a more established option, and Mogbo is still in the early stages of his development on a two-way contract. For Sacramento, the question is less about whether Sabonis can still be the focal point and more about whether the rest of the depth chart is strong enough to carry the load when the season starts asking for more from the frontcourt. [Read more 🡒]