Kings Receive Disrespectful Record Projection for 2026-27 NBA Season

After winning just 22 games last season, expectations are as low as ever for the Sacramento Kings. Despite improving their young core while hanging onto two star-caliber veterans in Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, the Kings are expected to get even worse this season.

ESPN's NBA insiders recently projected how the West standings will shake out this season, and to minimal surprise, the Kings are expected to finish last in the conference. We obviously cannot be too upset about the Kings' low expectations, but their record projection seems a bit disrespectful. ESPN believes the Kings will finish the 2026-27 season with a low 19-63 record.

Vegas has the Sacramento Kings winning 21.5 games this season.

ESPN says they’re going to finish 19-63.

If this isn’t bulletin board material, idk what is. pic.twitter.com/a5Y5wgHy3b
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) August 24, 2026

For reference, the Kings have won fewer than 20 games in an 82-game season just once in their franchise's history (17 wins in 2008-09). Will they be bad enough to win just 19 games? We certainly do not think so.

Why the Kings will exceed these expectations

It is easy to understand why the NBA world is down on the Kings this season. They will be led by a trio of Sabonis, LaVine, and rookie Darius Acuff Jr., with a concerningly low ceiling in the early stages of a rebuild. However, there is certainly an easy path to the Kings reaching much closer to 30-35 wins than this depressing 19-win mark.

First, the Kings need Acuff Jr. to be one of the league's top rookies. The 19-year-old was arguably the best point guard in college basketball last season. With his elite scoring ability and high-level playmaking, it should be easy for him to find a rhythm against NBA defenses, despite a potential learning curve.

Darius Acuff Jr. (19.0 PPG, 5.3 APG) played in his @SacramentoKings threads for the 1st time at NBA Summer League!

"5ive" aka @Dariusacuff5 is ready to shine in Sac-Town 🙌 pic.twitter.com/PjvNDRkb2p
— NBA (@NBA) July 21, 2026

Second, the veterans need to bounce back. Both LaVine and Sabonis had down years as they battled injuries, but we should expect much better seasons from them in 2026-27. LaVine, especially, is in a contract year and needs to bounce back. Sabonis, on the other hand, is one of the league's most consistent stars when healthy, so we should expect his usual dominance this season.

Third, Keegan Murray could finally be ready to take a leap. The 26-year-old forward has continued to improve defensively every season, and now it will just take some offensive consistency for him to be a legitimate two-way threat. There is a path to Murray becoming the Kings' second-best player this season, and they need the former fourth-overall pick to realize his potential.

The Kings were dealt a tough hand with injuries last season, never even getting their full starting lineup on the floor together. This season, though, there should be some optimism. Players are healthy, the young guys are clicking, and the veterans have a chip on their shoulders. What is stopping the Kings from winning 25 or more games?

At this point, I would be surprised if the Kings did not improve from last season. 22 wins should be their floor this season, and if Acuff Jr., Sabonis, LaVine, and Murray all mesh and step up as expected, 30-35 wins could be the reality.

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