Anonymous NBA Scout Breaks Down the Kings: ‘Yeah, They’re Going to Be Bad’

Editor’s Note: For the upcoming Sports Illustrated 2026–27 basketball preview magazine that will hit newsstands in October, SI spoke to anonymous scouts around the NBA about all 30 teams.

The Kings have the coolest postgame tradition in the NBA. Since 2022, every Kings win has been celebrated with a purple laser beam on top of Golden 1 Center shooting up into the Sacramento night sky.

Unfortunately for one of the best fan bases in all of basketball, the Kings’ victory beam isn’t getting lit too often these days.

The “Light the Beam” tradition was established during the Kings’ magical 2022–23 season in which the franchise snapped its 17-year playoff drought. While it looked like the Kings were building something special that year, they’ve gone backwards in dramatic fashion ever since. Over the last two years, Sacramento parted ways with coach Mike Brown and traded away star guard De’Aaron Fox, only to watch them battle each other in the 2026 NBA Finals.

The only names that remain from that 2022–23 “Beam Team” roster are Malik Monk, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. And once again, those three vets and the Kings are expected to live in the basement of the Western Conference in 2026–27.

“Everyone expects Sacramento to be bad, and they will be,” an anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated. “But if Sabonis is healthy, they are going to win some games. He raises the floor on whatever team he is on. He can help a bad team compete and win a game, but he's never going to get you over the level you need to win consistently. But he can get a triple-double one night, and if someone else gets hot, maybe they can win a few games that way.”

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Along with Sabonis, Zach LaVine is another one of those veterans returning to Sacramento. In 39 contests last season, LaVine averaged 19.2 points on 39% shooting from three-point range.

“LaVine is statistically one of the best off-the-dribble three-point shooters in the league, which is honestly a key stat these days,” an NBA scout told SI. “But yeah, they’re going to be bad. Some nights they'll be able to get hot and win some games. You'll have to scout them. You'll have to scout how you're going to play LaVine.”

In need of a bright spot? Look no further than the No. 7 pick of the 2026 NBA draft. Darius Acuff Jr., who averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists for coach John Calipari at Arkansas last season, has some star potential. The Kings’ 2026–27 campaign should be all about his development. Acuff should start alongside LaVine, Hunter, Murray and Sabonis most nights—even with the arrival of former All-Star Ben Simmons to California’s capital city.

“I'm guessing they're going to let Darius Acuff Jr. do a lot, and he may end up being a great player,” an NBA scout told SI. “But I'm guessing he's going to be one of those guys with a lot of turnovers and bad shot selection this year.”

The last first-year player to collect Rookie of the Year votes in a Kings jersey was Murray back in 2022. Now, Murray enters his fifth NBA season after a disappointing 2025–26 campaign that was shortened by a handful of injuries. And when Murray was on the floor, he shot an uncharacteristic 27.7% from deep.

“I think Murray probably hit his ceiling two years ago,” an NBA scout told SI. “Two years ago, I noticed he really became more aggressive. He went from a three-and-D guy to a guy that was really attacking. I think he's a good player. … Maybe without DeMar DeRozan he'll have some more opportunities to catch on the run and get downhill or attack closeouts. He has to shoot it better. But if he has that aggressive mentality and can shoot consistently, he's like a low-end starter, high-end bench guy. But I don't think he's more than that.”

Offseason recap

Ben Simmons — Simmons hasn’t suited up for an NBA game since April 2025 with the Clippers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Who’s in: Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban, Emanuel Sharp, Ben Simmons
Who’s out: Devin Carter, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook

Westbrook opted for retirement this offseason, and the Kings waived DeRozan, who went on to sign with the Nuggets. Sacramento also traded away Carter, the No. 13 pick just two years ago.

To add some young talent to the roster, the Kings exited the 2026 draft with two first-round picks—Acuff and UConn’s Alex Karaban, who was selected by Cleveland and traded to Sacramento for two second-round picks. Karaban won two national championships over his four collegiate seasons at UConn. He’s not guaranteed a spot in coach Doug Christie’s rotation but certainly could earn some playing time with efficient three-point shooting.

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The Kings wrapped up their offseason by signing Simmons to a one-year deal in early September. Simmons went unsigned last year but is hoping he can resurrect his career in Sacramento—and reportedly is interested in spending multiple years with the Kings if all goes well.

SI’s prediction for the 2026–27 Kings

Record: 22–60

The Kings will finish toward the bottom of the Western Conference, but Acuff Jr. should be in the Rookie of the Year mix alongside front-runners Cameron Boozer, A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson. Sacramento will be able to officially start yet another franchise reset next summer when the salaries of LaVine ($48.9 million) and Hunter ($24.9 million) get off the books.

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