Kings' Biggest Position Battle Is Still Unsolved Before Lakers Game

Despite their expected effort to do so, the Sacramento Kings were unable to trade away Domantas Sabonis this offseason. The three-time All-Star is staying with the franchise that first traded for him in the 2021-22 season, at least for the time being,

Keeping Sabonis is not a bad thing by any means, as when healthy, he is one of the best big men in the league. However, because they are keeping Sabonis, the Kings' backup center battle has become a major storyline.

Since Sabonis played just 19 games last season, rookie centers Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell were forced to step into larger roles than expected. Fortunately, they both rose to the occasion, proving to be the future of the Kings' center position, with Sabonis's status as a King still in doubt. Now, though, the Kings will have a tough time splitting backup minutes between Raynaud and Cardwell, creating an intriguing position battle in training camp and preseason.

Kings need some clarity

Mar 29, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Kings did not answer many questions about this clog at the center position. Sabonis started the game, but ended his night after just ten minutes of action. Off the bench, Raynaud and Cardwell checked into the game at the same time, creating even more confusion about the rotation.

Raynaud finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes, shooting 5-11 from the field. Cardwell finished with nine points, ten rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 29 minutes, while shooting 4-7 from the field. Both backup centers had productive outings to kick off the preseason, but Doug Christie and the Kings' coaching staff would likely prefer one of them to take charge in this battle.

The Kings are gearing up to have a preseason rematch against the Lakers on Thursday, and both sophomore big men should be given ample opportunity to prove themselves.

Can they play together?

Apr 3, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell (32) during the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As we saw in Monday's preseason opener, the Kings are comfortable with both Raynaud and Cardwell on the court. However, that will not happen as easily with a fully healthy lineup. In the preseason opener, Keegan Murray was sidelined, so Precious Achiuwa earned a starting nod. Typically, we will see Achiuwa be the backup power forward, with one of Raynaud or Cardwell coming in to relieve Sabonis.

Still, Raynaud's development could help him play power forward and potentially be alongside Cardwell more often. With Raynaud's offensive skill set and Cardwell's defensive presence, the Kings could actually benefit from having both big men on the floor. Still, with Achiuwa in the mix, it is hard to envision how the frontcourt rotation shakes out.

The Kings need to use these preseason games to actually figure out their rotation, and this backup center tandem should be one of Christie's priorities. We can assume that Raynaud has an edge after his All-Rookie season, but Cardwell's interior defense provides an edge on that side of the ball that they do not have anywhere else.

We will see how this shakes out, but heading into their second preseason game on Thursday night, it feels like the clock is ticking for Christie and his staff to answer any rotation questions.

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