Dylan Cardwell and Max Raynaud entered the NBA together as long shots. A year later, they are two of the more promising building blocks on a Kings roster looking for exactly that.
Cardwell went undrafted out of Auburn University in 2025 and signed a two-way contract before turning heads enough to earn a four-year standard deal midseason, finishing his rookie year averaging 4.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 59.8 percent from the field.
Raynaud arrived as last year’s No. 42 overall pick out of Stanford University, where he became the first Power Four player since Kevin Durant to average 20 points and 10 rebounds while making at least 50 3-pointers in a season.
NBC Sports California’s Tristi Rodriguez sat down with both players to talk about how their relationship evolved over a season that could have easily pitted them against each other for minutes on the court.
It never did.
“Max doing great doesn’t make me lose my job, and me doing great doesn’t make Max lose his job — at the end of the day, we are on the same team,” Cardwell said.
Cardwell credited a similar experience at Auburn, where he shared the frontcourt with fellow big man Johni Broome, for teaching him early that resentment toward a teammate’s success only hurts the group.
“Being salty or frustrated at other people’s success makes no sense,” Cardwell said. “It’s just hurting the team.”
That mentality has turned into a genuine, visible celebration. When Cardwell hits one of his rare floaters, Raynaud is the first player up off the bench celebrating. When Raynaud’s name gets called during starting lineups, Cardwell raises both arms into the shape of the Eiffel Tower — a nod to Raynaud’s hometown of Paris.
“We came into this league together with the same rookie class, and we want to be the guys that help turn this franchise around,” Cardwell said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to get there.”
Raynaud, in turn, pointed to Cardwell’s own journey — from undrafted two-way player to a four-year guaranteed contract — as proof of the standard he tries to hold himself to.
“That’s a testament to all the work and commitment he has toward this team,” Raynaud said. “I believe he’s one of the most physical and best defenders in the NBA, and that’s something I need to improve. In the same way, I feel like my floaters and touch shots are something he’s been adding to his game lately. We kind of feed off each other’s game. It’s iron sharpens iron, and it’s the best.”
Iron sharpens iron — and if Cardwell and Raynaud have their way, it’s the two of them who end up shaping what this Kings roster becomes.
Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast