The Sacramento Kings’ injury picture keeps getting heavier, and just three games into the 2026-27 season, head coach Doug Christie is already dealing with a roster that’s missing multiple rotation pieces.
The latest update from the team came Monday afternoon, with Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell and Keegan Murray all still sidelined.
Raynaud has been progressing in his rehab after suffering a right patellar subluxation against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 10. The Kings said he remains out and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.
Raynaud’s injury initially looked especially serious when he had to be helped off the floor with a wheelchair after going down in preseason. That moment sparked plenty of concern, so the subluxation diagnosis offered some relief compared with the worst-case possibilities.
Still, the timeline now pushes his absence deeper into the early part of the season. The team first said on Oct. 11 that he would be reevaluated in two weeks, and 15 days later the update is another two-week wait.
Cardwell’s situation has moved forward a bit, but not enough to get him back. His left calf strain was first announced on Oct. 13, when the Kings said he would be reevaluated in approximately two weeks. Now, 13 days later, the team says he’ll be reevaluated in approximately seven days.
With Raynaud and Cardwell both out, Sacramento’s center depth has already taken a hit. Precious Achiuwa and two-way forward Jonathan Mogbo have been the reserve frontcourt options so far.
Murray’s status is the one that probably raised the most eyebrows. He experienced soreness and stiffness in his left ankle after the Kings’ game against Portland on Oct. 23, and the team has since diagnosed him with left ankle capsulitis. He’ll be listed as out and reevaluated in approximately 10 to 14 days.
That update came after Murray was not in Sacramento’s closing lineup in its second game of the season. Afterward, Christie said the forward had gone back to the locker room in the fourth quarter but was able to return. The coach ultimately stayed with Daeqwon Plowden, who had stepped up in Murray’s absence.
Murray’s ankle issue was first revealed before Sunday’s game against Memphis, which also happens to roster his twin brother, Kris Murray. Last season, Murray’s first significant ankle injury of his career was a major reason he played only 23 games.
Now beginning a five-year, $140 rookie-scale extension, Murray is expected to remain one of the Kings’ core starters. So a second left ankle issue since training camp opened is a real concern, even if the current timeline still points to a reevaluation in about 10 to 14 days.
Murray said he had “a little setback in training camp. That’s why I didn’t play in the first two.”
Ben Simmons is also already lost for the season after tearing his Achilles before the regular season began. While it’s not known whether Raynaud and Cardwell would have both been in the nightly rotation, at least one of them likely would have been behind Domantas Sabonis as the backup center.
For now, that leaves Sacramento with three to four rotation pieces unavailable while the Kings sit at 0-3. With Simmons the only long-term injury, the opening is there for other players to step up while Murray, Raynaud and Cardwell recover.
The Kings’ schedule continues Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the San Antonio Spurs, then Thursday, Oct. 29 at the New Orleans Pelicans, Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Memphis Grizzlies, Monday, Nov. 2 at the Dallas Mavericks and Wednesday, Nov. 4 at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In Other News...
Keegan Murray Is Caught In A Kings Problem That Keeps Growing
Keegan Murrays early-season fit has been complicated by more than just the usual opening-night rust. Between a preseason spent on limited minutes and the lingering effects of returning from injury, Murray has had to find his rhythm while the Kings keep adjusting the pieces around him. The result has been a start that has not looked as clean or settled as Sacramento would like from one of its key young forwards.
The bigger issue is the one the Kings seem to keep running into: a rotation that has not stayed still long enough for anyone to really settle into a role. Murrays spot has felt especially fluid amid those changes, and the uncertainty has shown up in his on-court consistency. For a team trying to build continuity, his situation has become another reminder that Sacramento still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Sabonis Is Doing Something Historic For The Kings Already
Domantas Sabonis has wasted no time putting his imprint on Sacramentos season, piling up rebounds at a pace the league has never seen in the post-merger era. Through the first three games, he has grabbed 52 boards to break Moses Malones old mark of 49, while also setting the tone as the Kings most important offensive connector. Even in an early stretch marked by losses, Sabonis has been doing the kind of work that keeps Sacramento organized and dangerous.
What makes the start even more notable is that the big mans production has not been limited to the glass. He is leading the league in rebounds per game and in assists for the Kings, and he has done it while showing improved shooting percentages from last season. For a team still looking to turn effort into results, Sabonis has already been everything the Kings could ask for, and maybe a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Just Exposed An Early Kings Problem
After an 0-3 start, the early frustration around Sacramento has already gone beyond missed shots and defensive miscues. Zach LaVines comments pointed to a bigger issue inside the locker room: a team still trying to settle in, with the acclimation process not yet giving the Kings a clear sense of direction from the front office, the coaching staff or the veterans expected to steady things.
The larger concern is whether the pieces Sacramento has invested in are actually being used in a way that matches the plan. There has been a noticeable disconnect between draft capital and in-game decisions, including limited run for recent first-round picks, and LaVines point about veteran leadership only sharpened the conversation. In his view, teams need a voice and a structure to lean on, and right now the Kings are still searching for both. [Read more 🡒]