The Sacramento Kings are coming off another disappointing season, finishing 22-60 in 2025-26.
Now, they enter the year with a projected starting lineup that has played zero games together and new pieces across the board.
Last year’s poor finish earned the Kings the No. 7 overall pick, which they used to select Bob Cousy Award Winner Darius Acuff Jr. out of the University of Arkansas, whom the front office believes is their superstar of the future.
Sacramento also landed the winningest player in UConn men’s basketball history, Alex Karaban, and All-Big 12 First Team Selection, Emanuel Sharp, from the University of Houston.
Injuries to the team’s veterans last year also allowed rookies like Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell to play significant minutes. They gained valuable experience against some of the league’s most talented players. While that didn’t translate to many wins, they learned on the fly, whereas many of their rookie counterparts either came off the bench or played no minutes at all.