Biggest Takeaways From Kings' Historic 16-Game Losing Streak

The Sacramento Kings made franchise history when their losing streak reached 15 games, and after dropping another one to the Memphis Grizzlies, it has now been extended to 16 straight losses. With the longest losing streak the franchise has ever seen, it is hard to stay optimistic about this team.

However, we can try to find a couple of positive takeaways from the past 16 games, while staying honest about a couple of negative takeaways.

Positive: Maxime Raynaud's ascension

Feb 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) grabs a rebound during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Even coming out of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Kings knew they got some steals with Nique Clifford (24th overall) and Maxime Raynaud (42nd overall). Now, eight months later, it is even clearer that the Kings got the steal of the draft.

Raynaud, 22, has been incredible recently, and with All-Star center Domantas Sabonis out for the season, he has more opportunities to prove himself. While he has not dominated for the entire 16-game losing streak, he has really stepped things up over their last handful of losses.

Over the last four games, Raynaud is averaging 15.3 points and 12.3 rebounds, headlined by an impressive 21-point, 19-rebound performance against the New Orleans Pelicans before the All-Star break. Raynaud has cemented himself as the Kings' center of the future, and it will be great to see what he can continue to do in this position.

Negative: Doug Christie's future

Feb 9, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie reacts during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

While it seems like Doug Christie has strong job security with Scott Perry backing him as the future of the Kings' head coaching position, is he the answer? Regardless of what players are on the roster, losing 16 straight games is inexcusable.

Christie is supposed to lead a hard-nosed, defensive-minded team. How do the Kings have the worst defense in the league over their last 16 games? Of course, their offense has been toward the bottom of the league as well, but a big problem is that Christie does not seem capable of leading a team on either side of the ball.

Not to say the Kings' 16-game losing streak solely falls on Christie's shoulders, but it is hard to deny his role in their struggles. The first-year head coach will likely get another chance from the Kings' front office next season, but if they put together another failed campaign, it is hard to imagine him being in this position much longer.

Positive: Draft position

Feb 21, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) reacts during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at Marriott Center. | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

The Kings are the only bottom-five team in the NBA on an active losing streak longer than three games. And, as a reminder, they have lost 16 straight. The Kings have now built a 3.5-game cushion between them and the 15-win Indiana Pacers for the worst record in the NBA.

With 24 games left in the regular season, the Kings are in a great spot to secure an incredible draft position. If the Kings finish with the league's worst record, they are guaranteed a top-five pick in the loaded 2026 NBA Draft and will have a 14% chance to land the first overall selection to have their pick of the litter.

Whether it be Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, or any of the other elite prospects in this year's draft, the Kings' future should be in good hands after this summer, making this disastrous 16-game losing streak well worth it.

Negative: Nique Clifford still needs to prove himself

Feb 21, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) dribbles in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Moody Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

By now, the Kings would love to know whether or not Nique Clifford is their shooting guard of the future. However, he still has much to prove. His rookie season has been headlined by a 30-point outing earlier this month, but he has not been particularly great through this 16-game stretch.

Of course, this is a common issue with rookie guards, as they typically take more time to evaluate and develop, but he is already 24 years old, and the team certainly wants to see more out of him.

Through the Kings' 16-game losing streak, Clifford is averaging 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, while shooting 37.3% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc. The Kings should be using this final stretch of the season to unleash Clifford and see what he can do, but they have oddly moved him out of the starting lineup in each of their past two games, which is another questionable decision by Christie.