The Sacramento Kings are headed into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks far more stable than it did a year ago, but one major question still hangs over everything: who becomes the next true scoring force next to Darius Acuff Jr?
That’s the long-term issue at the center of this rebuild. Acuff is the cleanest answer on the roster, the kind of point guard you can build around and make the centerpiece of the entire operation for at least the next four years. Around him, the Kings have started to piece together a balanced rotation, but the shortage of high-end shot creation stands out.
Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk are still expected to have major roles this season, while Zach LaVine’s role remains up in the air. For now, those veterans give Sacramento some real production and some breathing room. But looking further ahead, it feels all but certain that neither Sabonis nor Monk is part of the club’s future.
That creates the biggest opening on the roster. Sabonis, in particular, would leave behind a massive hole in both minutes and the starting lineup.
The Kings, though, already have Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell lined up to potentially take over in the middle if their upward momentum from strong rookie seasons continues. On the wing and in the backcourt, Sacramento may have also found more help than expected, with Emanuel Sharp looking like another second-round hit and a player who could slide into the guard rotation when the timing is right, if not sooner.
That’s what makes this season such a key one for Sacramento. Perry has quietly built a more balanced group than the Kings have had in years, but there’s still plenty of uncertainty about who actually belongs in the long-term picture. This year should help sort that out.
The shape of the future core is becoming clearer. Acuff is the obvious anchor at point guard.
Raynaud and Cardwell give the team center options. Nique Clifford and Emanuel Sharp handle the guard spots.
Keegan Murray is expected to take on a bigger role on the wing, with Alex Karaban adding shooting. Taken together, that’s a pretty solid, well-rounded seven-man base.
But balance doesn’t solve everything. There are still real questions in that group, including whether Clifford can grow into a bigger role and whether Murray can rediscover his three-point stroke. Even so, those seven players look like the Kings’ foundation moving forward.
What they don’t have, at least right now, is a second player who can consistently create his own shot. Acuff is the only long-term piece who fits the label of a real bucket-getter.
Maybe Clifford gets there. Maybe Murray does.
Maybe somebody else emerges. But that answer isn’t on the board yet.
That’s why the present matters so much. Sabonis and LaVine are still the two best players on the roster, and Monk gives Sacramento more immediate help. Their presence buys the Kings time, but it also highlights the gap they still need to fill once the veteran layer comes off.
Finding that No. 2 scorer behind Acuff is the big assignment. If Sacramento ends up leaning into another season near the bottom, that wouldn’t be the worst outcome, especially with the new lottery odds giving them less control but still a shot at landing a co-star.
A high-end scoring wing would be the ideal target, the kind of player who could slide into the role De'Andre Hunter should fill this season. The problem is that every team in the league wants that kind of wing.
For now, the Kings have the edges of the roster coming together. The next challenge is the hard part: figuring out the stars.
In Other News...
Kings May Have To Wait On A Russell Westbrook Reunion
Russell Westbrook is not on the Kings roster right now, and the reason is less about fit than finances. Sacramento does have two open roster spots, but with no salary cap space to work with, the team simply cannot add players at the moment.
The squeeze comes largely from the contracts already on the books, which leaves the front office waiting for a cleaner path to bring in outside help. That is why any talk of a Westbrook reunion feels more like a future possibility than an immediate move, with some speculation pointing to the 2027 trade deadline if the cap picture finally loosens up. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Just Raised The Stakes For Sacramento's Next Step
Zach LaVines decision to stay put gives Sacramento a very different kind of offseason headline than the one many expected. The Kings had been looking at possible trade paths, but LaVine chose to opt into his $49 million player option, keeping him on the roster and immediately raising the importance of what comes next for a team trying to steady itself after an injury-hit season.
LaVine said he still believes in the culture and the potential around the group, and he pointed to the promise of a backcourt pairing with rookie Darius Acuff as part of why he sees a path forward. Sacramento has also tried to reinforce that vision by adding new players out of strong college programs, a sign the front office is still betting on cohesion and development as much as talent. [Read more 🡒]
Keegan Murray Could Shape The Kings Offense In A New Way
The Kings are heading into a transition season with a roster that blends established veterans and younger pieces, and the early emphasis is likely to be on finding new ways to make the offense more dynamic. Sacramento also has seventh-overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. in the mix, which only adds to the sense that the team will be experimenting with different lineup combinations as it tries to build around both present-tense scoring and long-term development.
One of the more interesting possibilities involves Keegan Murray in pick-and-roll actions with Acuff, a pairing that could give the Kings another layer to explore. Murray has not spent much time as a screen-setter, but if that part of his game grows, it could open up more options for Sacramento and help unlock a different kind of offensive flow than the one fans have seen before. [Read more 🡒]