Sacramento Kings Eye NBA Draft Lottery as Season Slips Away
With 48 games in the books and a 12-38 record to show for it, the Sacramento Kings find themselves teetering near the bottom of the Western Conference standings-just a half-game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the worst mark in the West. While no team will come out and say it’s tanking, the writing is on the wall: Sacramento is leaning hard into the future, and that future could be shaped by the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Kings are entering a pivotal stretch ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, February 5th at noon PT. First-year general manager Scott Perry has decisions to make-ones that could reshape the roster, open up minutes for younger players, and set the tone for how this franchise approaches the second half of what’s quickly become a lost season.
But make no mistake: the real prize isn’t a deadline deal-it’s draft positioning. And for a team that’s spent too many years circling the NBA’s middle tier, this is a critical moment.
The Lottery Landscape: Where the Kings Stand
As of January 28, Sacramento is firmly in the lottery mix. That’s where the odds game begins.
The NBA Draft Lottery is designed to balance competitiveness with fairness. The three worst teams in the league each carry a 14% chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick.
From there, the odds gradually decline based on record. For example, if the Kings finish with the seventh-worst record, they’d hold a 7.5% shot at the top pick-not nothing, but also not a guarantee.
Only the top four picks are determined by the lottery drawing itself. After that, the order falls in line with regular-season records. That means even a single win or loss down the stretch can have ripple effects-slightly improving or damaging a team’s chances at landing a top-tier prospect, or even protecting against a steep slide down the board.
For a franchise like Sacramento-often caught between rebuilding and retooling-this is where the stakes get real. Lottery position is about more than ping pong balls. It’s about access to potential game-changers.
Why This Draft Matters
The 2026 NBA Draft isn’t just another draft-it’s shaping up to be top-heavy in the best way. Scouts and executives are already buzzing about the projected top five, and for good reason. This class has the kind of talent that can alter a franchise’s trajectory.
Names like Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, and Houston’s Kingston Flemings are all in the conversation as potential top-five picks. Each brings something unique to the table-elite athleticism, high-level scoring, defensive versatility, or a combination of all three.
For the Kings, landing one of those players could mean finding the next face of the franchise. And in a season where wins have been hard to come by, that kind of long-term upside is worth chasing.
What Comes Next
As the trade deadline approaches, don’t be surprised if Sacramento makes moves that prioritize development and evaluation over immediate results. Whether that means giving more run to younger players or clearing out veteran contracts, the goal is clear: maximize lottery odds without saying the quiet part out loud.
The Kings’ upcoming schedule won’t do them any favors, either. The Western Conference is as brutal as ever, and Sacramento is likely to be underdogs in most of their remaining games. But in a season like this, that might not be the worst thing.
Because while the standings may look bleak right now, the bigger picture offers hope. And if the lottery balls bounce their way this spring, the Kings could walk away from the 2026 NBA Draft with a franchise cornerstone.
That’s the kind of outcome that makes a rough season feel like a necessary step toward something bigger.