The Kings’ center picture just got a lot murkier, but it also revealed something useful about how Doug Christie may want to play while Maxime Raynaud is sidelined.
Raynaud’s right patellar subluxation leaves Sacramento without the second-year big man who was expected to carve out a real role, either as Domantas Sabonis’ primary backup or as part of two-big lineups. For now, the Kings can afford patience. They are not rushing toward a playoff chase in the second year of the rebuild, and there’s no reason to force Raynaud back before he’s ready.
In the meantime, Sacramento still has enough bodies to patch together the rotation. Sabonis remains the starter.
Dylan Cardwell should see a bigger opportunity as the team’s other true big, with the chance to provide some defensive backbone. But the most interesting answers may come from the group of small-ball options Christie can turn to.
Precious Achiuwa, Ben Simmons, and Jonathan Mogbo all profile as potential backup centers, and Achiuwa looks like the cleanest fit of the three. Each brings size, athleticism, and the kind of switchability that can change the shape of a game. Put them next to long wings like Keegan Murray, De'Andre Hunter, or even Nique Clifford, and Sacramento can throw out lineups that can switch nearly everything from one through five.
Achiuwa already showed last season that the small-ball five can work for this team. Some of Sacramento’s best basketball down the stretch came when the Kings leaned harder into those looks. Basketball Reference shows Achiuwa played only 17% of his minutes at center last year, compared to 51% with the New York Knicks in 2025-26.
Simmons brings a different kind of appeal. Offensively, he could become a real headache for opponents.
The question is whether he can hold up against bigger centers if teams decide to attack him down low. That uncertainty is part of what makes Simmons such a massive X-Factor for the Kings this season.
Cardwell has his own value, especially with his ability to get up the floor in transition, but the Kings may care more about speed, mobility, and defensive connectivity in these lineups than about pure rim protection. If that’s the direction they take, the small-ball group could end up mattering more than the traditional center minutes Raynaud was supposed to claim.
Raynaud should be back at some point. Until then, Sacramento’s center rotation remains one of the biggest question marks on the roster.
In Other News...
Zach LaVine Has One Last Chance To Change His Kings Story
Ben Simmons is back in the NBA with Sacramento after stepping away for a season to focus on his mental and physical health, and his arrival adds another layer to a Kings roster that already has plenty of career-crossroads energy around it. Zach LaVine is in the same kind of prove-it space, still trying to reset the conversation around his game and his place in the league while sharing a locker room with another veteran trying to rebuild a reputation.
For LaVine, the timing matters because his Kings run has not gone the way either side wanted, and every stretch from here carries extra weight for how the rest of his stint is remembered. Sacramento is looking for signs that he can still be part of something meaningful here, but the larger question hanging over the season is whether there is enough time left for him to change the story before the next chapter arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Add Two Wings With A Chance To Earn More Than Stockton
The Kings kept their camp pipeline moving by adding a pair of wings on Exhibit 10 deals, giving Aaron Nkrumah and Damari Monsanto a path to stick in Sacramento while also setting them up for a possible bonus if they head to Stockton. Nkrumah arrives as an undrafted Tennessee State product who has been working his way through the pro ranks, while Monsanto comes in after spending last season in the G League following his time at UTSA.
Monsantos fit in the organization has been building for a while, since Stockton had already secured his returning rights before this signing. For Sacramento, the move is another low-risk look at two perimeter players who can spend training camp around the club, compete for a deeper opportunity and at minimum give the Kings minor league affiliate a couple of useful names to monitor when the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Precious Achiuwa Is Giving The Kings A Tough Rotation Decision
Precious Achiuwa has quickly become one of the more useful pieces in Sacramentos early-season picture, the kind of frontcourt option coaches value because he can cover different spots and help on the defensive end. His preseason stretch gave the Kings a real look at what he can do when asked to shoulder more responsibility, and the early returns made it hard to ignore how well he fit when the roster was thin.
Now the challenge is figuring out where he lands once the lineup is healthier again. Achiuwa has done enough to stay in the conversation, and his ability to bounce between positions gives Sacramento more flexibility than it had before, but that versatility also complicates the rotation math. For a team trying to settle its bench group, he has made himself tough to take out of the picture. [Read more 🡒]