Kings' Maxime Raynaud Makes All-Rookie 2nd Team, but Was He Robbed of More?

The Sacramento Kings got the steal of the 2025 NBA Draft. With the No. 42 overall pick, the Kings selected Maxime Raynaud, a French big man out of Stanford. The young 7-foot-1 center quickly became an impressive backup center, but as three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis dealt with injuries, Raynaud emerged as one of the best rookies in the NBA.

After such a surprisingly successful rookie campaign, Raynaud was recognized by the league. On Wednesday, the NBA announced that he has been named to the All-Rookie Second Team, joining Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Ace Bailey, and Collin Murray-Boyles.

A global media panel of 100 voters selected the 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Rookie Team.

The complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/P3RH5nGfYM
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 20, 2026

Raynaud was the only non-lottery selection to make an All-Rookie Team this year, an incredible accomplishment by the second-rounder. He tallied 26 First Team votes and 58 Second Team votes, finishing tied for the sixth-most points.

Robbed for First Team?

Raynaud earned a well-deserved spot on the All-Rookie Second Team, but he certainly had a case for the fifth spot on First Team, which ultimately consisted of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, and Cedric Coward.

Raynaud finished the season averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 57.1% from the field. He led all rookies in double-doubles (18) and rebounds, finishing as arguably the best first-year big man.

Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) dribbles against LA Clippers guard Kobe Sanders (right) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Obviously, Raynaud did not have much of a case against the likes of Flagg, Knueppel, or Edgecombe, but he had a clear case for First Team in comparison to Harper and Coward. No knock to either player, especially as Harper plays at a high level in the Western Conference Finals, but statistically, Raynaud had an advantage.

Let's take a look at the basic stats between the three players:

Maxime Raynaud (SAC): 12.5 PTS, 7.5 REB, 1.4 AST, 57.1/32.4/78.6

Dylan Harper (SAS): 11.8 PTS, 3.4 REB, 3.9 AST, 50.5/34.3/75.6

Cedric Coward (MEM): 13.6 PTS, 5.9 REB, 2.8 AST, 47.1/33.8/84.3

Your Western Conference @Kia Rookie of the Month for March...

Maxime Raynaud of the Sacramento Kings! https://t.co/w33lDfd18J pic.twitter.com/CoTYU6rcFF
— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2026

Raynaud certainly did not get "robbed" of a spot on the All-Rookie First Team, but he made a strong case. Still, earning All-Rookie honors in general after being the No. 42 pick in the draft is a very impressive feat, as he proved to be just as valuable as last year's top-ten picks.

Nique Clifford omission

As Raynaud earned some recognition from the NBA, his Kings rookie counterpart, Nique Clifford, was left out. The No. 24 pick in last year's draft finished his rookie campaign by averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, putting together a mildly impressive season. However, he was left out of All-Rookie voting.

19 total rookies earned votes for the All-Rookie teams, yet Clifford did not receive a single vote. Granted, he had a slow start, but he was very impressive over the last three months of the season and could have used some type of recognition.

Overall, it was a great season for the Kings' rookies, including undrafted free agent Dylan Cardwell, but Raynaud was undoubtedly the star of the show and was rightfully named to an All-Rookie Team among a group of lottery picks.

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