It’s not a good time to be a Sacramento Kings fan, but the franchise is trying to make something out of nothing with one of their recent campaigns. The Kings ran a promo by giving free season tickets to any fan who made a free throw.
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That’s right — not a three-pointer or a half-court heave. Just one shot from the line.
Apparently, a young man by the name of Tyson sank his 15-foot freebie and won the prize. Still, the promotion has sparked plenty of chatter online, where fans are poking fun at what they see as a rather desperate attempt by the Kings to generate some positive buzz.
Fans react
Nothing was specified about the season tickets the man won, but according to the Kings’ official NBA website, those tickets cost anywhere from $1,032 to nearly $7,000, depending on the seat location.
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But because of the Kings’ current state, some hoops followers roast the organization, joking that the promotion feels like a self-aware admission of just how far the team has fallen.
“Can’t even sell most of them for money cause nobody wanna go,” one fan wrote.
“Might as well give a 10-day contract, anything helps,” another fan quipped.
“Dudes not even excited,” yet another fan stated.
As much as people want to kick others when they’re down, the Kings are not actually doing that badly as far as attendance is concerned. They rank 19th in total attendance this season, according to ESPN, though that figure is dead last among teams that have played at least 27 games.
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Still, the free-ticket stunt highlights how willing Sacramento is to engage fans in a creative, yet self-deprecating, way. The team may be struggling on the court, but it gives the Kings faithful something to cheer about in an otherwise lost season.
Time for retooling
After showing signs of life that had them winning four straight against the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Washington Wizards, the Kings figure in a 12-game skid that might not stop anytime soon.
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From the looks of it, the franchise is already waving the white flag. They traded guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cleveland Cavaliers before the trade deadline, but are still stuck with DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis (DeRozan and LaVine only played 20 and 18 minutes, respectively, in their last game).
Sacramento was reportedly looking to unload these guys and commit to a full rebuild, but they couldn’t find any takers — Sabonis is still owed around $94 million over two years, DeRozan over $25 million until next season, and LaVine nearly $49 million next year.
At this rate, the Kings would be guaranteed no worse than the fourth pick, a silver lining in an otherwise lost season. This will put the organization in a position to draft one of the three potential franchise cornerstones in a very talented draft class, headlined by Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer.
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If the stars align and they land one of the three top prospects, the Kings can then wheel and deal the remaining contracts. They can attach several of their eight future first-round picks until 2032 to unload Sabonis and/or LaVine and get a younger player in return that fits the new timeline. At the very least, it’s a plan.
The free-ticket giveaway feels like a low-hanging fruit for jokes, but the Kings are clearly playing the long game. Sometimes, you have to laugh through the growing pains before the real work begins.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.