{"id":626720,"date":"2026-02-26T20:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T20:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/626720\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T20:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T20:30:16","slug":"the-sacramento-kings-have-work-to-do-to-regain-relevance-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/626720\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sacramento Kings Have Work to Do to Regain Relevance \u2013 The Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sacramento Kings have been the laughingstock of the NBA for a while, but especially since the firing of former head coach Mike Brown.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of Feb. 26, they have the worst record in the NBA (13-47) and have gradually regressed since the 2022-23 season, when they made the playoffs. They even suffered a 16-game losing streak from mid January to late February.<\/p>\n

Responsibility for said regression can be spread across several areas. Sacramento has dealt with coaching instability, underwhelming star production from\u00a0Zach LaVine<\/a> and Domantas Sabonis<\/a>, and poor front office decisions.<\/p>\n

It will take a lot of moving parts, money, and time to do, but the Kings can be relevant again to compete in the Western Conference, and here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n

The Need for a Coaching Change<\/p>\n

The first step for the Kings to achieve success in a timely manner is to part ways with Christie. They need to hire someone with a proven track record of winning with a successful franchise.<\/p>\n

The first two head coaches who should be at the top of Sacramento\u2019s wishlist are current free agents Tom Thibodeau<\/a> and\u00a0Michael Malone<\/a>. They could also look to make headlines in the sports world by hiring a successful WNBA head coach,\u00a0Becky Hammon.<\/a>\u00a0Each of the candidates has a proven track record in big-time situations, with Malone even winning an NBA championship in 2023 with the Denver Nuggets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If the Detroit Pistons can go from the\u00a0most consecutive losses<\/a> in a season to a playoff team within one year, then the Kings are capable of doing it too.\u00a0But it must start with the person leading that team, and that person cannot be Christie.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sacramento Kings<\/p>\n

Go get David Griffin to be your GM. <\/p>\n

Go get Taylor Jenkins to be your Coach.<\/p>\n

Spend the money. Hand over the keys. Allow them to do their job and give the Kings, players and fans some stability.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Douglas White (@douglaslwhite) April 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Drafting Young Talent for the Future\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sacramento is in dire need of youthful building blocks on its roster. In the past year, the front office traded young, bright players such as\u00a0De\u2019Aaron Fox<\/a> and Keon Ellis <\/a>for older and much more expensive talent.<\/p>\n

With the Kings\u2019 current place in the standings, they should be receiving a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA draft. There are five college prospects they should have at the clear top of their draft board. Kansas\u2019\u00a0Darryn Peterson<\/a>, BYU\u2019s\u00a0AJ Dybantsa<\/a>, Duke\u2019s\u00a0Cameron Boozer<\/a>, Houston\u2019s\u00a0Kingston Flemings<\/a>, and Illinois\u2019\u00a0Keaton Wagler.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each of these prospects are capable of leading NBA franchises. If Sacramento can build a stable environment for them to grow, the future can be brighter than The Beam.<\/p>\n

Having a Very Busy Offseason<\/p>\n

In order for the Kings to turn their operation around, they need to have a productive offseason this summer. A new coach and franchise centerpiece would be a good start, but it won\u2019t be enough. They should be active in trade negotiations.<\/p>\n

Sacramento\u2019s first move should be trading their expensive and older veteran players. Veterans like LaVine, Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan<\/a> are all expendable as the franchise looks towards the future of its core. They\u2019re all on expensive contracts. Moving off them would free up much-needed cap space.<\/p>\n

Why not dream big, right? Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> has been in trade rumors for years. Kevin Durant<\/a>\u2018s relationship with the Houston Rockets doesn\u2019t seem to be great, nor is LeBron James<\/a>\u2018 with the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n

There should also be more manageable free agents to add in an effort to round out the roster. Collin Sexton<\/a>,\u00a0Mark Williams<\/a>,\u00a0John Collins<\/a>, and Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> are all names to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n

Plenty of Room for Growth<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the Sacramento Kings have avenues to improve their situation. Especially with the cap room they can create, they can set up the next iteration of their team with tools to work with.<\/p>\n

It ultimately comes down to how effectively the front office evaluates its position \u2014 and whether it commits to building sustainably for the future.<\/p>\n