Burning Questions for Kings Following Hot Summer League Start

The Sacramento Kings are enjoying a strong start to their Summer League season, winning all four of their games so far. Yes, it's just exhibition games that don't mean much, or anything, in the end, but what they're showing on the court gives hope that Scott Perry and the rest of the front office are on the right track to bring the Kings back to the playoffs.

Even though the games don't matter, the takeaways from Summer League are going to be crucial for Sacramento as they head into the rest of the offseason. Here are some of the key questions the Kings will have to answer following the games so far.

Can Sharp Crack the Rotation?

Nov 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) steals the ball away from Towson Tigers guard Tyler Tejada (15) during the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Darius Acuff Jr. may be the Kings' star player going forward, but second-round draft pick Emanuel Sharp has easily been Sacramento's best player so far. Sharp has shown the same defensive tenacity and hustle that he showed in Houston throughout his collegiate career, and it's translated immediately to the NBA.

The main question is if Sharp will be able to crack the rotation once the regular season gets underway. Acuff will start at point guard, and Zach LaVine will likely start at the shooting guard spot if he's still on the roster. And then there's Malik Monk and Nique Clifford as well. Compared to last season, there's not a flurry of guards that Sharp will have to compete with, but the offseason is still young and the Kings could bring in another guard or two.

But Sharp plays the exact style that Doug Christie has preached since taking over as head coach. He's a menace on defense, shoots the three at both a high volume and percentage, and there's no reason the Kings can't run him out for 20 minutes or more per game right away.

Two Big Lineups?

Dec 27, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) and center Dylan Cardwell (32) celebrate after the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another standout from Summer League so far has been second-year center Dylan Cardwell. The enthusiastic center has been everywhere on the court for the Kings and is a true defensive anchor the likes of which Sacramento hasn't seen in years.

His game still needs refinement, but he's already shown improvement on offense. If he can continue to grow his offensive skill set, it's going to be hard to keep him off the court. But the problem is, the Kings also have Domantas Sabonis and Maxime Raynaud on the roster.

Sabonis' future in Sacramento is still up in the air, but as long as he's on the Kings, he's likely going to get 30+ minutes per game. That, along with Raynaud's strong play that landed him a spot on the All-Rookie second team, is going to make it hard for the Kings to juggle all three bigs.

The simplest path is to play two of the bigs at the same time, which is a trend that's reappearing throughout the NBA. Thankfully for the Kings, Raynaud will get back on the court during Summer League and give them a chance to see if both he and Cardwell can share the court together. The key to it all will be Raynaud's ability to step out and hit the three to keep defenses honest.

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