The Sacramento Kings enter the 2026-27 season as a team with plenty of room for improvement. The Kings snapped a 16-year long playoff drought in 2023 and haven't been back to the postseason since as a lot has unfolded, including a new general manager, head coach and face of the franchise.
The Kings finished their most recent campaign with a 22-60 record, the second-worst in franchise history since moving to Sacramento. It was the first full season for head coach Doug Christie, who initially went from assistant to interim coach when Mike Brown was fired in December 2024. The interim was tag removed last season under new general manager Scott Perry, whose focus has been set on rebuilding the team infrastructure and identity.
Perry has been able
to begin the retooling process largely through the draft. In the 2025 NBA Draft he selected Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud and signed Dylan Cardwell as an undrafted rookie. All found their way into the rotation last season after the roster faced multiple injuries. They proved to be potential cornerstone pieces to a new era brewing in Sacramento. Perry followed that draft performance by selecting Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, later selecting Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp to round out the event.
The Kings' fresh crop of talentis complimented with vets including Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and Zach LaVine. During the offseason, Sacramento was busy. They re-signed Precious Achiuwa, Daeqwon Plowden and recently added free agent 6-foot-10 guard Ben Simmons into the mix, giving the team more defensive versatility. De'Andre Hunter also returns from an eye injury that limited him to just two games with the Kings.
Sacramento will be an interesting case study in the league as the franchise attempts to field a competitive team and improve on their previous record while navigating the development its young players and monitoring potential trade offers vets like Sabonis and LaVine.
Here's a breakdown of the Sacramento Kings' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:
Sacramento Kings offseason review
- Record last season: 22-60 (14th in Western Conference)
- Playoff finish: Did not qualify
- Coach: Doug Christie (2nd season)
- 2026-27 title odds: +100000 (per BetMGM)
- Projected record : 18-64
- Offseason grade : D
Key roster additions
- G Ben Simmons (free agent signing)
- G Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft)
- F Alex Karaban (No. 29 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, trade with Cleveland)
- G Emanuel Sharp (No. 45 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft)
Key roster losses
- G Russell Westbrook (retirement)
- G DeMar DeRozan (free agent)
- C Dario Saric (international)
- F Doug McDermott (free agent)
Biggest question entering training camp
How will the Kings' mix of veterans and young players mesh together?
- Last season, the Kings' draft picks Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell earned minutes through development and injuries to Domantas Sabonis, who played just 19 games, Keegan Murray who played 23 games, and Zach LaVine who played 39 games. With incoming highly touted draft picks Darius Acuff Jr., Emanuel Sharp and Alex Karaban, it'll be interesting to see how everyone fits and minutes are divided. The Kings also added Ben Simmons, who's looking to have a resurgent season after sitting out last year with a back injury. Head coach Doug Christie is going to have his work cut out for him figuring that out.
Projected starting lineup and rotation
Starters
- G Darius Acuff Jr.
- G Zach LaVine
- F De'Andre Hunter
- F Keegan Murray
- C Domantas Sabonis
Rotation players
- G Malik Monk
- G Ben Simmons
- G Nique Clifford
- G Emanuel Sharp
- G Adam Flagler
- F Precious Achiuwa
- F Daeqwon Plowden
- F Alex Karaban
- F Jonathan Mogbo
- C Maxime Raynaud
- C Dylan Cardwell
What to expect in 2026-27 season
The Kings have a fun team. No one is predicting they will win a bunch of games, but expect the Kings to play hard. Sacramento will be exciting, energetic and to some extent entertaining. Monitor the gradual development of their future core, it could very-well influence the trade market. Overall, the growing pains will continue in California's capital. Anticipate struggle and expect lots of ugly games with the Kings – that's the price of development. Growth is coming. Try to appreciate the process and brace yourself for the ride.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sacramento Kings season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.
