Reviewing Kings 2025 NBA Draft Class: Panic, Patience or Assurance

The Sacramento Kings had a surprisingly successful 2025 draft. Despite going into the draft without a first-round pick, the Kings managed to come out with a much brighter future than before.

Now, a year later, how is the Kings' 2025 draft class panning out? The Kings selected Nique Clifford with the No. 24 pick after trading with the Oklahoma City Thunder, then took Maxime Raynaud with the No. 42 pick, before also signing Dylan Cardwell as an undrafted free agent. Ultimately, they turned out to be one of the best rookie trios in the NBA.

As we approach the 2026 NBA Draft, here is how we would evaluate the Kings' draft class from last summer, based on whether the franchise should panic, have patience, or feel assured.

Nique Clifford

Like many rookie guards, Clifford has a cold start to the season. While still showing flashes, Clifford struggled through the first few months of his rookie campaign, averaging just 5.7 points and 1.3 assists in 19.7 minutes per game through the end of January, while shooting 39.7% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range.

Fortunately, the Kings did not panic too soon with Clifford. The rookie guard ultimately found his rhythm. With a season-ending injury to star guard Zach LaVine, his opportunities increased, and he was given much more room to make mistakes and grow.

NIQUE CLIFFORD POSTER —

RISE UP. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/fP63rpa3FM
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 12, 2026

Between February 1 and the end of the season, Clifford averaged 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33.7 minutes per game, shooting 43.3% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc.

Of course, he had his ups and downs as a typical rookie guard, but he showed plenty of promise toward the end of the season. Ultimately, the Kings need to see more from him, but he has not given them any reason to regret the selection.

Verdict: Patience

Maxime Raynaud

Obviously, Raynaud had a wildly successful rookie season. The 7-foot-1 Frenchman turned into the steal of the draft and is even expected to earn All-Rookie First Team honors.

Through 56 starts this season, mostly while filling in for the injured Domantas Sabonis, Raynaud averaged 14.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.2% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc. Raynaud led all rookies in double-doubles (18) and rebounds per game of eligible players, proving to be one of the best big men in his class.

2026 Maxime Raynaud pic.twitter.com/P6bPcvgdSa
— Pitless (@pitlessball) April 14, 2026

Of course, there is still plenty of room for Raynaud to grow, but he exceeded expectations as a rookie and has even made a case to be the Kings' next franchise center if they decide to move on from Sabonis.

Verdict: Assurance

Dylan Cardwell

In a dreadful 60-loss season, the Kings desperately needed a spark of energy. Luckily, they took a chance on Dylan Cardwell in undrafted free agency last summer, and he turned out to be one of the biggest energy guys in the NBA.

Cardwell quickly turned into a fan favorite, but his on-court impact was also underrated. This season, he averaged 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 58.7% from the field. While he is not eligible among league stat leaders due to playing only 44 games, he averaged as many rebounds and blocks per game as the rookie leaders this season, doing so in 20.6 minutes per night.

DYLAN CARDWELL WITH 2 HUGE BLOCKS IN THE FINAL SECONDS TO WIN IT FOR SAC 🚫🚫

Russ was HYPED. pic.twitter.com/1pz0UatqDG
— NBA (@NBA) April 4, 2026

There is still plenty for Cardwell to prove until he is ready to be a legitimate center, especially if he wants to be a long-term starter, but he was impressive as a backup for Sacramento this season. He ultimately earned a standard contract after starting the season on a two-way, and is now locked into Sacramento for the next three years.

Verdict: Patience

Fortunately, the Kings have no reason to panic about any of their rising sophomores, each carving out a role in Sacramento's rotation as they prove to be valuable pieces of the future of the franchise.

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