Could the Kings Be Better Next Season Than Expected?

After a disastrous 22-60 season for the Sacramento Kings, it is challenging for fans to stay positive. However, there could be reason to be optimistic for next season.

The Kings were one of the worst teams in the NBA all season, and it barely paid off in the draft lottery, dropping two spots to land the No. 7 overall pick. Still, with the No. 7 pick and an underrated group of players, the Kings could be better next season than people are giving them credit for. Are they a shoo-in for a playoff spot? Absolutely not, but they could be fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament.

Kings 2026-27 roster outlook

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis talks with forward Keegan Murray — Mar 10, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) talks with forward Keegan Murray (13) during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Sure, the Kings were wildly disappointing this season, but we have to acknowledge their unfortunate injury luck. The Kings did not have their expected starting lineup fully healthy for a single minute this season, as not even Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray shared the floor.

Hopefully, the Kings have better injury luck next season, and if they do, they are automatically at least 5-10 wins better. Now, looking at their full expected roster, we can see they are surprisingly talented. Granted, it is impossible to know what moves they will make this offseason, but here is what their rotation could look like, just by leaving out DeMar DeRozan:

PG: Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 7 pick), Devin Carter
SG: Nique Clifford, Malik Monk
SF: De'Andre Hunter, Zach LaVine
PF: Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud
C: Domantas Sabonis, Dylan Cardwell

Keep in mind, this is only factoring in who they select with the No. 7 pick and players still under contract, assuming LaVine accepts his $49 million player option. While that ten-man rotation is far from being a real contender, they could make some surprising noise in the West to potentially earn a play-in tournament spot.

Zach LaVine says he remains undecided about picking up his $49M player option.

"I will go back and look at the best course of action and ask what is most important to me right now"

(Via @JakeGadon_TV ) pic.twitter.com/IxQk07dHrx
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 13, 2026

Another notable aspect of this new-look rotation is that their starting lineup would have an average age of 25.2, which is a significant improvement compared to being one of the league's oldest teams this season. The Kings' roster can actually look better, while also getting younger as a team, which is the ideal scenario for this rebuilding franchise.

Why this team could surprise a lot of people

Keep in mind, I am not claiming the Kings will be a playoff team next season. However, I do believe they could be fighting for a top-ten seed in the West under the right circumstances.

Assuming the front office is still able to make some roster tweaks this offseason, and they are able to find their franchise point guard in the draft, there is no reason this team should not be much more competitive than they were this past season.

If they are led by a trio of Darius Acuff (or whoever they select at No. 7), Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis, with a surprisingly sound core around them, they will be more successful.

After winning 22 games, I could see them jumping to 35 wins next season. With better injury luck, a clearer direction of the franchise, and Doug Christie in his second full season, the Kings should be in a much better position in 2026-27.

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