The Sacramento Kings are heading into the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with a roster that just got a major boost.
Maxime Raynaud is back in the mix after missing the California Classic because of his commitments with the French national team. The 7-foot-1 center arrives after a rookie season that far outpaced his draft slot, as he was selected in the second round with the 42nd overall pick and went on to earn All-Rookie Second Team honors.
Raynaud played 74 games and made 56 starts last season, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 57.1% from the field. With Domantas Sabonis sidelined for most of the year because of injuries, Raynaud carved out a real role and now gets another chance to build on that in Las Vegas.
Kings general manager Scott Perry said he likes what he’s seeing from the young big man, but he wants more.
“You can tell he’s gaining some confidence,” Perry said. “He will tell you even more than I that coming into Year 2, his goal is to be better.
Last year was last year. He had an excellent rookie year, but that’s gone by.
Now, he’s got to get better and be better this next year, so that’s his challenge and I think he’s really working hard at it.”
Sacramento’s summer league group already showed plenty in the California Classic, going 3-0 with wins over the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors Blue and Milwaukee Bucks. Raynaud joins a team that already has a deep list of names, including Darius Acuff Jr., Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford, Alex Karaban, Jonathan Mogbo, Emanuel Sharp, Isaiah Stevens and Marquel Sutton.
The Kings will get at least five games in Las Vegas, with all four of their preliminary matchups set for Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. Their opener comes Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers at 8 p.m.
Perry said the focus in Vegas is less about flash and more about the right kind of habits.
“Just continue to play hard, compete and play a tough, physical brand of basketball,” Perry said. “...
I thought we saw some good stretches during the California Classic, and I just want to keep seeing that cohesiveness come together. What we’re trying to establish here is that connectivity and that togetherness at both ends of the floor.”
Sacramento has already won two NBA Summer League titles, beating the Houston Rockets in 2014 and the Boston Celtics in 2021.
There’s plenty of intrigue around the rest of the roster, too. Acuff, the rookie point guard taken out of Arkansas with the No. 7 pick in June’s NBA draft, played in two California Classic games and led the Kings in scoring at 23.5 points per game, though he shot just 33.3% from the field and 27.8% from 3-point range.
Sharp, a second-round pick from Houston, posted 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while undrafted rookie Marquel Sutton added 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Karaban, a first-round pick acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sat out the California Classic with an ankle injury and could make his summer league debut in Las Vegas.
Clifford and Cardwell are also expected to be part of the action, though Perry said it’s not clear how many games they’ll play. Clifford, a second-year guard, averaged 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the California Classic. Cardwell, a second-year center, put up 10.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 3.0 blocks.
“They’re going to play some,” Perry said. “I don’t think they’ll play al the games, but when you’re starting to build chemistry, it’s important to have guys around and get to know one another.”
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