Kings at the Crossroads: Time to Embrace the Rebuild and Let the Youth Shine
With the trade deadline looming and less than half the NBA season left to play, the Sacramento Kings find themselves standing at a familiar fork in the road. And after a five-game skid that quickly erased the momentum of a recent four-game win streak, it’s becoming increasingly clear what direction they need to take: it’s time to lean into the rebuild.
The Kings currently sit in fourth place from the bottom, but the standings are tight - just a game separates them from the league’s basement. Thanks to the NBA’s revamped lottery system, the odds for landing the No. 1 pick are flattened among the bottom four teams, but positioning still matters.
The worst team in the league can’t fall lower than fifth in the draft order, while the fourth-worst team could slip all the way to eighth. That’s a significant difference, especially in a year where the top of the draft board is stacked with high-upside talent.
This week alone, we saw BYU’s AJ Dybantsa go off for 43 points, Cameron Boozer notch back-to-back 30-point games, and Houston’s Kingston Flemings torch Texas Tech for 42. These are the kind of players who can change a franchise’s trajectory - but only if you’re in position to land them. And right now, the Kings are flirting with the edge of that opportunity.
They’ve got four more games on this road trip before returning home just ahead of the deadline, and if the front office is serious about building something sustainable, now is the time to act.
Time to Rip the Band-Aid Off
This isn’t about waving a white flag - it’s about playing the long game. The Kings need to be aggressive at the deadline, even if that means moving on from some big names for less-than-perfect returns.
Domantas Sabonis is still producing at a high level - his 24-point, 16-rebound, 6-assist performance against Cleveland was a reminder of just how much he brings to the table. But if there’s a chance to flip him for future assets, the Kings need to listen.
Toronto has reportedly shown interest, but Sacramento has been hesitant to take back the contracts of Immanuel Quickley or Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl’s deal, in particular, is hefty - four more years, though only partially guaranteed in the final season.
Still, if the Raptors are willing to attach draft picks or a young prospect to that package, it’s worth considering. This team isn’t one move away from contending. They’re a few years out, and that means stockpiling assets however they can - even if it means absorbing some less-than-ideal contracts.
The same logic applies to players like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, or Dennis Schröder. If Sacramento can get a pick or a young piece in exchange for taking on a questionable deal, that’s a win in the current context. It’s not about next season - it’s about where this team wants to be in 2028.
Dylan Cardwell Deserves a Real Look
Maxime Raynaud has earned his flowers as a second-round rookie making an impact, but it might be time to give undrafted big man Dylan Cardwell an even bigger role - maybe even a starting spot.
Cardwell has been quietly carving out his place in the rotation, and the numbers back up what the eye test is starting to show: he’s the only Kings player with a positive net rating right now. He’s not hunting shots, but he’s doing all the little things - setting hard screens, rotating on defense, contesting shots, and crashing the glass. He even flashed some playmaking chops with a career-high five assists in the loss to Detroit.
That kind of unselfish, high-IQ basketball is exactly what this team needs during a rebuild. He’s quickly becoming a fan favorite, and if he doesn’t finish the season with a standard NBA deal, it’ll be a surprise. The Kings need to find out if Cardwell can be a long-term piece - and the only way to do that is to give him consistent minutes now.
Let Nique Clifford Cook
Another rookie who deserves a longer leash? Nique Clifford.
He got the starting nod against Detroit and responded with 15 points in 33 minutes - one of his best outings of the year. When Clifford gets real minutes (28 or more), he’s scored in double digits in all but two games - and even in one of those, he still put up nine.
There’s a case to be made that Clifford might be the most talented player in this rookie class. The problem is, he’s been stuck behind a crowded wing rotation, while Raynaud and Cardwell have had clearer paths to playing time in the frontcourt.
If the Kings move off some of their veterans at the deadline, it’ll open the door for Clifford - and potentially Devin Carter, who’s barely seen the floor this season - to get the reps they need. This stretch run should be about evaluation.
Clifford has shown flashes, but the Kings need to know if he’s a foundational piece or a role player. That only happens with minutes.
Rebuilding the Roster - and the Relationship with Fans
The Kings made headlines this week for all the wrong reasons when their game against the Miami Heat drew an NBA season-low attendance of 11,381. A corrected figure later bumped that up to 15,295, but let’s be honest - we all know how attendance numbers work in the NBA. Either way, that’s a far cry from the sellout streaks of years past.
And it’s not hard to see why. The team hasn’t been competitive for years, and ticket prices keep climbing despite the on-court product staying stagnant. Fans are being asked to pay more for less, and eventually, that math just doesn’t work.
If the Kings want to bring people back to the arena, it starts with building a team worth watching. But in the meantime, lowering prices wouldn’t hurt. Give fans a reason to show up - even if it’s just to watch young players grow and compete.
The Bottom Line
This is a pivotal moment for the Kings. The losing streak, the looming draft, the trade deadline - it’s all converging into a clear message: it’s time to commit to the rebuild.
That means flipping veterans for future assets, giving young players meaningful minutes, and embracing the growing pains that come with it. There’s no shortcut to contention, but there’s a smart way to get there - and it starts with making bold decisions now.
The Kings don’t need to chase wins this season. They need to chase a future worth believing in.