The Sacramento Kings 2025-26 season began with hopes and expectations both from the fanbase and organization. Since the 2022-23 was the best season in recent Kings history, and the season where the iconic beam was launched, the Kings have been stuck sufficiently in mediocrity.
The Kings lost the play-in tournament the last two years before this current season and have been searching for a team identity since trading long-time franchise player De’Aaron Fox last season, after frustrations with frequent coaching turnover and executive team decisions over the years.
“I thought this was finally the year they were gonna actually be solid the whole way through,” said Chai Teag, a Sacramento City College student. “But it just felt like every time they got momentum, something went wrong. It’s kinda the same cycle again.”
The Kings finished the season with a record of 22-60. This season will be known as one of the worst in franchise history with 16 of those losses coming consecutively — a franchise record of the most losses in a row. The Kings seemed to never gather themselves, injuries assisting their derailment. Constant different rotations and new players introduced caused players to never adopt familiarity with their teammates. Several players, including Domantas Sabonis, Zach Lavine and De’Andre Hunter were sidelined with injuries this season, while Keegan Murray also dealt with multiple injuries.
A main reason for the Kings unsuccessful season is their atrocious play on both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor. They have been consistently among the worst offense and defensive teams in the league throughout the season. The Kings are averaging a -10 point differential (this stat calculates the average on how much a team loses by and how much they win by in their season in different games and turns it into an average). A -10 point differential signifies the Kings have not been only losing, but have been losing by a lot throughout the season.
A bright spot of the Kings season, something that has been very seldom this year, is the fiery emergence of rookie Maxime Raynaud from France. Raynaud leads all rookies in double-doubles by a considerable amount. He has only enhanced his basketball prowess over the course of the season, from getting bullied in the post, to being the bully. One of his best games was against the San Antonio Spurs where he dropped 32 points and nine rebounds. Raynaud averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game for the season.
The Kings’ terrible season can only be deemed worth it if they grab an electrifying NBA prospect this upcoming draft — temporary pain for a long-term gain. College prospects such as AJ Dybansa, Cameron Boozer and Daryl Peterson are said to be franchise altering. If the odds can somehow be in the Kings favor and they secure a lottery pick, Kings fans may look at this hurtful season as a stepping stone for the Kings future success.
Scott Stauffer, a Sacramento resident said, “Win or lose the fan base is pretty badass.”