Dylan Cardwell is no longer talking like an undrafted rookie just trying to stick around. He sounds like a player who expects to matter.
That shift came through clearly during Kings Media Day, where Cardwell spoke with Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show and reflected on the rookie season that changed his standing in Sacramento. The 23-year-old said the outside doubt hit hard before the Kings gave him a shot.
“Having 29 teams essentially telling me I’m not an NBA player, that hurts,” Cardwell said. “There’s a lot of doubt, a lot of frustration, a lot of worry, and then here comes Sacramento.”
The Kings clearly got something back for that opportunity. In 44 games as a rookie, Cardwell averaged 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, leading all rookies in rebounds and blocks per game. He went from longshot to one of Sacramento’s most productive young pieces.
Now he’s entering his second NBA season with a bigger voice and bigger expectations. Cardwell said he wants the Kings to become “the toughest, most relentless team” possible, and he sees it as part of his job to keep that edge intact over the course of an 82-game season.
“We’re not going to quit. We’re not going to bow down to anybody,” Cardwell said.
“We’re going to get every loose ball. We’re going to dive on the floor.
We’re going to butt heads with other teams.”
His goals reach beyond effort and identity. Cardwell made it plain that Sacramento’s target should be the postseason.
“My goal is for us to make the playoffs. Anything less than that would be a frustration.”
The Kings’ young group has already been putting in work together this offseason, including runs organized by Rico Hines in Los Angeles. Cardwell said he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen from rookies Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp, and he singled out Acuff for the way he carries himself.
“He’s a worker, man. He’s a workhorse,” Cardwell said. “He’s in here, first one in here, last one in here.”
Cardwell also believes Sacramento could lean into bigger lineups, especially now that Domantas Sabonis is healthy again and Maxime Raynaud is on the roster. He sees double-big combinations as a possible edge when the games tighten up.
“It’s going to be a great tool to have to kind of mess other teams up,” Cardwell said.
After a rookie year spent proving he belonged, Cardwell says he’s arriving for Year 2 in far better condition and with a sharper sense of what’s expected.
“I’m the best shape I’ve ever been in my life,” Cardwell said. “I feel really good. I feel like I’m in great shape.”
For a player who once just wanted a door to open, Cardwell now sounds like someone determined to help push the Kings somewhere they haven’t been in years.
In Other News...
Kings Interest In Jalen Duren Just Got A Lot More Serious
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The catch is the same one that has shadowed Sacramentos pursuit from the start: the Kings do not have the cap room to sign Duren to a max deal right now. So the focus has turned to creating a path, and that has reportedly included exploring a Domantas Sabonis trade to clear the necessary space. If Sacramento can get that flexibility, Duren becomes a much more realistic target either before or during the 2026 season, or when he reaches free agency in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Kings New-Look Roster Is Already Fueling A Brutal 2026-27 Debate
On The Matt George Podcast, Josh Lloyd of Locked On Fantasy Basketball took a long look at where the Kings could be headed in 2026-27, and his read was not exactly comforting. He pointed to the possibility of defensive issues lingering on a roster that is still trying to sort out its identity, even as the front office adds new pieces and hopes the fit improves.
Lloyd also raised questions about whether newcomers Darius Acuff Jr. and DeAndre Hunter will live up to the expectations attached to them, which only adds to the uncertainty around Sacramentos next step. And if the Kings do decide Domantas Sabonis is part of the answer they want to move off of, Lloyd suggested they may have to be more realistic about the trade return than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Final Two-Way Spot May Be Down To One Young Guard
The Kings have brought Tristen Newton into 2024 training camp, putting the former UConn guard squarely in the mix for one of the team's two-way openings. Newton arrives with a G League-heavy resume and some real pedigree, since he was a 2024 second-round pick by the Pacers before Sacramento picked up his rights in a trade involving the Stockton Kings.
For a roster still sorting out its final developmental spot, Newton is the kind of player worth a long look: young, experienced in the G League grind, and familiar enough to the organization through the Stockton connection. He also went on to earn All-NBA G League First Team honors in 2026, which only adds to the intrigue around whether the Kings see him as the right fit for that last two-way slot. [Read more 🡒]