The Sacramento Kings enter the 2026-27 season with two issues hanging over everything else: Doug Christie’s future on the bench and whether Zach LaVine can be moved before the trade deadline.
That was the snapshot Sam Amick laid out during an appearance on Sactown Sports’ The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, where he broke down the pressure points facing the Kings as the year gets underway. The Athletic reporter said his own early confidence in the roster has cooled. At one point, he believed LaVine and Domantas Sabonis - both veterans with something to prove - could keep Sacramento in the mix while Darius Acuff Jr. adjusted.
But if the struggles keep piling up, Amick made clear the mood could turn fast. If those rough patches become the pattern, he said, “it’s gonna be ugly.”
That puts Christie in a tricky spot. He’s in the final year of his deal, and the obvious question is how long the Kings would stick with him if the season goes sideways. Amick didn’t rule out a full season for Christie, even under those circumstances.
“Honestly, no, you’re not off,” Amick told the hosts when asked whether Christie could survive the year. “Surviving a year is not out of the question.”
Amick also pointed out that Christie’s situation is tied to general manager Scott Perry’s own standing. If Sacramento makes a coaching change during a difficult stretch, he said, “the spotlight shifts to you.” Perry could keep Christie in place and bank on the roster surprising people, or make a move that brings his own decisions into sharper focus.
Then there’s LaVine, whose contract may be the toughest puzzle of all. The multi-time All-Star is headed into the last year of his deal at $49 million, and that number complicates everything. Even if he plays well, that doesn’t automatically mean the market will be robust.
When asked whether LaVine could be effectively immovable if Perry refuses to take on money beyond this season, Amick agreed with the concern.
“I feel like I agree with that,” Amick said. “There are just easier ways for teams to get better in the way that Zach LaVine helps you get better without taking on a contract that uses a significant share of the salary cap.”
Amick said Perry could always revisit things closer to the deadline, especially if Sacramento is looking for a jolt. He understands the logic of keeping leverage in trade talks, but he also said the fan base can only sit through so much uncertainty.
“I understand his logic,” Amick said. “But asking these fans to just kind of breathe that same air for the next six months is pretty brutal if you don’t have some shakeup along the way.”
Still, he drew the line between patience and paralysis. Sacramento doesn’t need to make a move just for the sake of making one.
“Making rash moves and change for the sake of change is not necessarily a pathway to improvement either,” he said.
So the Kings are left with the same challenge that usually defines a season like this one: finding a direction that lets the roster grow without leaving everyone else waiting forever for something to change.
In Other News...
Kings Opened With A Blowout Loss And The Postgame Only Got Worse
The Kings did not get the kind of opening-night jolt they were hoping for, falling 121-96 to the Clippers as the new season began with a thud. For Sacramento, it was a rough way to start, with the game getting away early and the scoreboard only reinforcing how much work still sits ahead in the first stretch of the year.
Los Angeles had its own backdrop hanging over the night, with coach Tyronn Lue dedicating the win to owner Steve Ballmer after the league handed down major punishment in the salary cap circumvention case tied to Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers penalty was steep, including a $30 million fine, the loss of five first-round picks and suspensions for Ballmer and two executives, while Leonard ended up traded to the Toronto Raptors. For the Kings, the game itself was bad enough, and the wider postgame only made the loss feel even more lopsided. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Already Face One Frustrating Question After Season Opener
The Kings 2026-27 season started with an early reminder that the margin for error in the West is thin, as Sacramento fell to the Clippers 121-96 in Inglewood. Zach LaVine supplied 28 points to pace the Kings, but Los Angeles had the cleaner answer throughout the night, with Darius Garland scoring 30 and the Clippers bench giving them a steady lift.
What stood out most was how quickly the game slipped away after halftime, when the Clippers widened the gap in the third quarter and kept Sacramento from ever finding a real rhythm. For a team trying to set a tone in the opener, the frustrating part is less the final score than how little time it took for the contest to stop feeling competitive. [Read more 🡒]
Doug Christie Sends Early Warning After Kings' Sloppy Opener
The Kings opened the season with a rough 121-96 loss to the Clippers, and the aftermath sounded less like panic than a coach laying down a baseline. Sacramento was already shorthanded without Malik Monk, who sat because of ankle soreness, and Ben Simmons, who is out for the season with an Achilles injury, but Doug Christie made it clear the missing pieces were only part of the problem. What stood out more was how the Kings let the game drift away with loose execution and too many empty possessions.
Christies early message centered on the habits Sacramento has to sharpen quickly, starting with defensive intensity and cleaner ball movement. He also wants the offense to show more patience instead of forcing the issue before opportunities develop. It is only one game, but for a Kings team trying to establish a reliable standard, the opener offered a blunt reminder that talent alone will not be enough. [Read more 🡒]