Maxime Raynaud already gave the Sacramento Kings a real glimpse of what he can be, but this season still feels like the one where he can push it even further.
The Kings enter the year with expectations as low as almost anyone in the NBA, coming off a 60-loss campaign and carrying plenty of doubt with them. That kind of setup can cut both ways.
Sacramento has a chip on its shoulder, and every player on the roster has something to prove. For Raynaud, that means the chance to build on last season’s surprise and show that it was only the beginning.
As a second-round rookie, Raynaud put together a strong first impression. He averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and ended up as the only non-lottery pick on a 2025-26 All-Rookie team.
For a 23-year-old big man listed at 7'1", that kind of production turned heads quickly. He can score, pass, rebound, and move well for his size, which gives Sacramento something it can lean on as he grows into a larger role.
He also added about 20 pounds this offseason, according to Raynaud, and that should help him handle bigger matchups in the paint. The work didn’t stop there, either. He spent time with the French national team alongside Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, another sign that he treated the offseason like a chance to sharpen every part of his game.
There’s also the reality of how Raynaud got his opening last season. Domantas Sabonis, the three-time All-Star, missed 63 games because of injury, and Raynaud stepped into that space.
He took advantage of the opportunity and made a name for himself. This season, with Sabonis healthy, the path looks different.
Raynaud is set to return to a bench role, but he’ll still have a clear lane as Sacramento’s top backup center.
That matters for a team that doesn’t have much optimism swirling around it right now. A breakout from Raynaud would give the Kings a young big man they can trust and help define a future core. It would also give Darius Acuff Jr. a talented center to pair with in that young group.
And while Sacramento’s long-term outlook is the bigger picture, Raynaud’s growth could matter right away. If he keeps improving on both ends of the floor, the Kings have enough talent to make some noise and maybe catch a few people off guard in the Western Conference.
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What looked like a straightforward cost-cutting move for Sacramento last summer has aged in an increasingly awkward way. The Kings sent Sasha Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to Toronto for Jalen McDaniels and two second-round picks, a deal that was supposed to help reshape the roster while trimming money from the books, but the return has done little to quiet second-guessing.
Vezenkov eventually headed back to Europe after a buyout with the Raptors, while Toronto turned those picks into Alijah Martin and Jamal Shead, with Shead already landing a three-year contract extension. Mitchell, meanwhile, is now with the Miami Heat and appears to be their starting point guard, another reminder that Sacramentos decision moved on from a useful guard while Toronto kept finding ways to turn the deal into more value. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team like the Kings, who have long valued offense and perimeter creation, a player such as Hawkins at least fits the profile of a low-risk flier with upside. Sacramento is not alone in that thinking, either, with Dallas and Golden State also mentioned as logical landing spots for the same reason: each could use shooting, each could give him a clear role, and each offers a style of play that might finally help him settle in as a reliable NBA weapon. [Read more 🡒]
De'Andre Hunter Suddenly Looks Like A Huge Kings X Factor
De'Andre Hunter has barely had a chance to show what he can mean for Sacramento since arriving in last Februarys trade, and the injury that cut his first season short only made the wait longer. With preseason opening on the horizon, the Kings finally have a healthier version of the wing in camp, and Hunter says he is ready to play after spending much of his early tenure sidelined.
For Sacramento, that matters because Hunter brings exactly the kind of two-way flexibility the roster can use, especially on a team trying to get more versatile on defense without sacrificing scoring support. He spoke about that defensive versatility himself, and with an expiring contract in hand, he has a chance to make a strong early case that he can be more than a name in the middle of a trade package. [Read more 🡒]