The Sacramento Kings may be entering the season with modest expectations, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few swing pieces who could change the whole feel of the roster. With DeMar DeRozan waived and Russell Westbrook gone in free agency, Sacramento has clearly moved into a new rebuild phase. Even so, the group around Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and seventh-overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. has enough intrigue to make next season more than just a reset.
The biggest question is which supporting players actually move the needle. Three names stand out.
Malik Monk sits near the top of that list because his role is still a little murky. Sacramento’s backcourt is crowded, and the team seems likely to lean toward its younger guards, but Monk could still matter a lot if he settles in as the sixth man.
The 28-year-old is coming off his worst season since joining the Kings, yet he remains their most dependable bench ball-handler. There’s even a path where he backs up Acuff Jr. at point guard.
If Monk gets back to being a steady offensive spark and takes on more of the playmaking load with the second unit, he could become one of the team’s most important pieces.
De’Andre Hunter is another player worth watching closely, and maybe the most overlooked one on the roster. Sacramento expects him to start next season, but he barely got a chance to show anything after arriving in a February deadline trade. He played only two games for the Kings before a season-ending eye injury shut him down, leaving his fit alongside Keegan Murray still largely unknown.
Hunter’s season was limited to 45 games between Sacramento and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it wasn’t his best work. But the Kings would love to see something closer to his 2024-25 form, when he averaged 17 points per game, defended well and shot 40% from beyond the arc.
With the team’s forward depth still a little shaky, Hunter giving them that kind of two-way production would go a long way. There’s also a chance the Kings try him off the bench at times, especially if Precious Achiuwa gets a look in the starting lineup.
Then there’s Maxime Raynaud, who already proved he can be more than just a fill-in. The 23-year-old earned All-Rookie Second Team honors after averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and he stepped up when Sabonis was injured.
With Sabonis back, Raynaud is expected to return to the bench, but that doesn’t make him any less important. Sacramento could be looking at one of the league’s better backup centers if he takes a real sophomore leap.
Raynaud showed enough last season to suggest there’s real upside here. If he keeps building, the Kings not only get stronger in the present, they also improve their long-term outlook.
Sabonis, LaVine and Murray are the known quantities. The real separator for Sacramento may be whether Monk, Hunter and Raynaud can all raise their games at the right time. If they do, the Kings have a chance to beat the low expectations hanging over them.
In Other News...
Kings Suddenly Face A Tougher Zach LaVine Decision Than Expected
Zach LaVines Sacramento future has become one of the more interesting decisions facing the Kings this summer, with the conversation no longer centered just on what he can do on the floor but on how long he might stay in the building. The relationship piece matters here, too: LaVine has reportedly built a positive connection with rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and has also gotten along well with the Kings front office, giving Sacramento at least some reason to believe the partnership could last beyond a short-term stop.
The problem is that the market is not offering many easy outs. LaVines salary narrows the pool of realistic trade partners, which makes a clean move harder to engineer and leaves the Kings weighing whether to keep him in place or push toward an extension path. For now, both sides seem to have reasons to stay engaged, and that alone makes this one worth watching as the offseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Rebuild Just Left Two Veteran Names In Very Different Spots
The Kings offseason reset has already produced two very different veteran outcomes, with DeMar DeRozan waived as Sacramento continues reshaping the roster around a younger core. Even with the move, DeRozans name should stay active around the league because of the steady scoring and efficiency he still brought last season, making him the kind of experienced wing contenders can plug in without changing their whole identity.
Russell Westbrooks path is less settled, and Sacramentos decision not to bring him back leaves his next step hanging in the air. The Kings are moving on as part of the rebuild, but Westbrooks future now depends on how teams value what he still offers and whether the market lines up with what he is looking for. [Read more 🡒]