“I do think I’m the best big in the rookie class,” Sacramento Kings rookie center Maxime Raynaud told reporters in their final weeks of his first season.
Raynaud was drafted with the 42nd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, despite many expecting him to be a first-round selection. The seven-footer previously shared that he wanted to be in Sacramento.
The Kings and head coach Doug Christie have dealt with a handful of injuries, including the usual starting center, Domantas Sabonis, who will end his season with 19 games played. His backup, Drew Eubanks, was signed by general manager Scott Perry last offseason. He too has had a few injuries, leaving more opportunity for Raynaud than anyone could have forecasted.
He’s taken advantage of that, starting in 53 of his 71 appearances while averaging 12.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 56.7 percent shooting from the field. He’s produced as much as any other rookie not selected in the top four.
To his point of being the best big, those taken before him were Khaman Maluach (Phoenix), Derik Queen (Atlanta), Yang Hansen (Portland), Joan Beringer (Oklahoma City), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (LA Clippers), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Charlotte), and Johni Broome (Philadelphia). He’s not wrong in pointing out that he’s been more impactful than anyone on that list.
“I think I’ve proven it against other pretty good bigs that got drafted ahead of me, so definitely that’s something I want to show off,” Raynaud said following a win over Queen and the Pelicans. The Kings’ rookie had a game-high 28 points along with nine rebounds and four assists in the victory.
“At the same time, I don’t want to pay too much attention to the outside noise,” he continued. “In the sense that it is my rookie season, there’s already so much I need to focus on and learn and get through, just to get through the season, that I don’t really have time and energy for this. But I think at some point, you know, the stats don’t lie, and you add them up, so that’s what I’m going to go for. And then people will make their own opinion, have a judgment. I think it’s pretty clear now.”
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Right before that matchup, Raynaud was named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March.
He seems well within the race for an All-Rookie team, but whether it’s first or second still seems up for debate. First overall pick Cooper Flagg has won the first three Western Conference honors as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, while second overall pick Dylan Harper with the Spurs won in February.
In the East, Kon Knueppel, the fourth overall selection, has cleaned swept through the Eastern Conference every month until VJ Edgecombe in March.
Not only does that make Raynaud the first second-rounder to earn Rookie of the Month this season, but he’s also the first player selected outside the top four.
The other current/former Sacramento players who have earned that are Keegan Murray (x2), Tyrese Haliburton (x2), Ben McLemore, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Thomas (x2), and Tyreke Evans (x2).
He has a reason to be confident in his performance this season. Being on a team that likely will lose 60 games is a fair knock, but also something truly beyond Raynaud’s control. As he’s pointed out, there’s still plenty for him to learn and take from this season that will be valuable to his long-term outcome in the NBA.
But it doesn’t seem like he needed to prove anything to himself coming in anyway. When asked if he had the confidence of being the best big in his class coming into the draft, he was clear.
“There was one player in college basketball averaging 20 and 10 last year,” Raynaud said.
To his point, last season at Stanford, he averaged 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds. That was enough to get him recognized as an intriguing NBA prospect, but has his rookie campaign been enough to land him on the All-Rookie first-team? He seems to believe so, and it’s easy to see why.
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When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will travel down I-80 to visit Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
Sacramento and Golden State have split two regular-season matchups thus far, with the Warriors handing the Kings a 137-103 loss at Chase Center on January 9th behind 27 points and 10 assists from Curry.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 7:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown San Francisco.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Tuesday, April 7th @ Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, April 10th vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, April 12th @ Portland Trail Blazers – 5:30 PM PT (End of season)
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