Sacramento Kings Enter 2026 Offseason Facing Draft Opportunity and Salary Crunch
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Sacramento, Calif. — Three years after ending a 16-season playoff drought, the Sacramento Kings arrive at the 2026 offseason with a 22-60 record, the No. 7 pick in a highly regarded draft and a payroll already projected above the first tax apron for 2026-27.
Rapid Rise, Quick Fall
The “Beam Team” era began with promise in 2022-23, when Sacramento went 48-34, claimed the West’s No. 3 seed and pushed defending champion Golden State to seven games in the opening round. The club finished 46-36 the next year but slipped to ninth place, defeating the Warriors in the 9/10 play-in before falling to New Orleans for the final playoff spot.
Bold Trades Backfire
Owner Vivek Ranadivé green-lit two splashy moves that reshaped the roster:
- July 2024: A three-team sign-and-trade landed DeMar DeRozan on a three-year, nearly $75 million deal. Sacramento surrendered Harrison Barnes and a 2031 first-round pick swap to San Antonio, plus Chris Duarte and two second-rounders to Chicago.
- December 2024: After a 13-18 start, the Kings dismissed head coach Mike Brown, promoted assistant Doug Christie and dealt De’Aaron Fox—who declined to discuss an extension—in another three-team trade with Chicago and San Antonio. Sacramento received Zach LaVine’s maximum contract, two first-round picks and four second-rounders.
The DeRozan-LaVine pairing, previously ineffective in Chicago, struggled again in California’s capital. Christie guided the team to a 27-24 finish, but a play-in loss to Dallas ended the 2024-25 campaign.
Front-Office Overhaul
General manager Monte McNair was dismissed after the season and replaced by veteran executive Scott Perry. Perry’s first draft night included sending a protected 2027 first to Oklahoma City for pick No. 24 (guard Nique Clifford), selecting center Maxime Raynaud at No. 42 and signing undrafted big man Dylan Cardwell to a two-way contract.
Free-Agency Flurry
Sacramento explored a sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga that never materialized. Instead, the club:
- Acquired Dennis Schröder from Detroit via sign-and-trade,
- Added veterans Russell Westbrook and Precious Achiuwa in free agency.
Injuries Sink 2025-26 Season
Plans for a rebound collapsed when LaVine and Domantas Sabonis combined for just 58 appearances and forward Keegan Murray logged a career-low 23 games. A 16-game skid from Jan. 18 to Feb. 21 dropped the Kings to 12-46.
At February’s trade deadline, Sacramento flipped Schröder, Keon Ellis, Dario Šarić and a 2028 second-rounder in a three-team deal that brought in De’Andre Hunter. The forward suffered a season-ending eye injury two games into his Kings tenure.
The club finished 10-14 over its final 24 outings—enough to fall into a tie with Utah for the NBA’s fourth-worst record. A pre-lottery tiebreaker favored the Jazz, who later jumped to the No. 2 pick, while Sacramento slid to No. 7.
Draft Capital and Cap Concerns
The Kings hold three 2026 selections—No. 7, No. 34 and No. 45—aiming to find long-term pieces to join Clifford, Raynaud and Cardwell. Concurrently, management must carve out salary relief; current projections place the club in tax territory and above the first apron for 2026-27 despite last season’s 22-win output.
Landing an impact player at No. 7 and shedding contracts loom as Sacramento’s twin priorities as the franchise tries to redirect a once-promising trajectory.
Source: Hoops Rumors
