The Sacramento Kings are finally getting a little healthier, but Friday night still looks like a steep climb.
For most of the start of the 2026-27 season, Sacramento has been piecing things together with a battered rotation. Ben Simmons is done for the year, Maxime Raynaud still hasn’t played, Dylan Cardwell missed the first seven games, and Keegan Murray has had trouble staying on the floor. That has left the Kings scrambling after opening the season 1-7.
Now they get a chance to reset in an early-season rematch with the San Antonio Spurs, but the matchup doesn’t exactly line up in their favor. The Kings host San Antonio on Friday night after the Spurs beat them by 27 on their own floor earlier this season, and the visitors arrive on a six-game winning streak. Sacramento will need a lot to break right to pull this one out.
There is at least one encouraging sign for the Kings: their injury report is lighter than it has been all season. Sacramento has listed at least four rotational players on the report for every game so far, but Friday’s group includes only three players ruled out. The full report for the Kings reads:
Ben Simmons - OUT (right Achilles tendon repair/surgery)
Even with that improvement, Sacramento still isn’t close to full strength. Murray and Raynaud remain the names everyone is waiting on.
Murray missed 59 games last season and is now playing on a $140 million contract, but he has appeared in only two games this year. Raynaud, who made an All-Rookie team last season, has been sidelined by a knee injury to start the new campaign.
The Spurs, by comparison, come in in far better shape. Tobias Harris and rookie big man Jayden Quaintance have not played yet this season, but San Antonio has continued rolling anyway.
Their injury report is short, and their form is not. Victor Wembanyama is building an MVP case and just put together one of the wildest stat lines the league has seen, finishing with 52 points, 24 rebounds, and 8 blocks in a win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Sacramento will have its hands full in this NBA Cup Group Play opener, with both teams looking for an early-season edge in the group. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. PT in Sacramento.
In Other News...
Spurs Add Intriguing First-Round Talent With One Big Question Ahead
The Austin Spurs made a notable roster move ahead of the 2026-27 season opener, acquiring former Cleveland Cavaliers first-round pick Ochai Agbaji and waiving Elijah Pemberton to clear the spot. Agbaji arrives with real pedigree after being taken in the 2022 draft, and he brings the kind of name recognition and upside that makes a G League addition worth watching closely in San Antonios orbit.
For now, though, the timing leaves one key wrinkle. Agbaji did not make the opening-day roster, but he is expected to debut at the Spurs home opener, giving the organization a little time to sort out how he fits into the early part of the schedule. With the G League season structure always demanding quick adjustments, Austins upcoming stretch should offer a first look at whether this move is simply a depth play or something more interesting for the Spurs system. [Read more 🡒]
Devin Vassell Suddenly Faces A Spurs Decision He May Not Like
The Spurs are still waiting to see how Tobias Harris fits into the mix, but his eventual debut could force a lineup conversation that reaches straight into Devin Vassells role. Vassell has been starting and has done well in that spot, yet San Antonio also has enough forward depth coming off the bench that the coaching staff may have to rethink how it wants to balance the rotation once Harris is available.
For a team trying to sort out its best combinations, this is less about one player losing ground than about finding the cleanest fit around a new piece. Vassell has earned his minutes, but the Spurs may decide the most efficient version of the group comes with him in a different role, depending on how Harris looks when he finally gets on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Face One Concern In A Very Winnable Kings Matchup
The Spurs head into Golden 1 Center with a chance to keep building early momentum in an NBA Cup group game against a Kings team that has stumbled badly out of the gate. San Antonio has already won four of the last five meetings between the teams since the De'Aaron Fox trade, and Victor Wembanyama has been central to the Spurs strong start this season.
Still, this is the kind of matchup that can get tricky if San Antonio lets the circumstances dictate the game. Both sides are dealing with a long injury and G League absence list, which can change the feel of a contest quickly, even when the records suggest one team should have the upper hand. For the Spurs, the concern is less about who they are playing and more about making sure a very winnable night does not turn into one they have to chase. [Read more 🡒]