Kings Face Harsh Reality in NBA Front Office Rankings

The Sacramento Kings season couldn't get much worse than it already is, as they sit at 12-44 and the worst record in the NBA. Thankfully, they have a top draft pick to look forward to. Where they pick is still up in the air, but they have a destiny with the NBA draft lottery coming soon after a season at the bottom of the standings.

But while they continue down their road of turmoil this season, the league is starting to take notice. The Beam Team brought positive attention to the franchise for the first time in decades, but the media are quick to remember the Kings for their long-standing reputation as one of the worst teams in the league, as that playoff appearance stands out as a one-off years later.

CBS's Sam Quinn ranked all front offices around the league, and it should come as no surprise that the Kings are at the bottom of the list. But it is surprising that they received the bottom spot to match their league-worst record.

NBA front office rankings: Lakers fall, Hornets rise in post-trade deadline check-in, OKC, Boston still on top (by @SamQuinnCBS) https://t.co/S3H60wCTq1
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) February 17, 2026

Quinn has Sacramento ranked last, with the New Orleans Pelicans a close second-to-last. But he ultimately gave the Kings the nod for worst in the league

What's so startling about this is that, in the midst of one of the most egregious tank-offs in NBA history, the Kings weren't even trying to be this bad. They signed Dennis Schröder to a contract that worked out so poorly that they had to give up Keon Ellis, one of the few desirable players on the roster, just to dump it. The irony of that is that they could have used a team-option to make Ellis a restricted free agent and re-sign him under favorable terms last offseason, but didn't in order to keep his salary low enough to fit Schröder under the luxury tax line. They bungled this from every angle and wound up De'Andre Hunter, a contract Cleveland was eager to dump. Speaking of contracts teams were eager to dump, how's Zach LaVine working out for them?

Feb 4, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) during a free throw in the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Scott Perry is still in his first year as the new GM, so it's a bit harsh to judge him so early on in his tenure. However, the Schröder contract and trade soon thereafter have negatively impacted his grade and view around the league, regardless of how well undrafted free agent Dylan Cardwell is playing.

But this isn't all Perry's mess. Monte McNair and Wes Wilcox left the team in disarray from last year, and Perry was gifted a roster filled with expensive veterans that no one else in the league wanted. Teams were calling him, asking for draft compensation to move off the contracts, and Perry smartly took his time instead of emptying his asset collection just to move off money.

It shows just how much work Perry and the rest of the front office have to do. They have to somehow get rid of the contracts from the old regime, nail the upcoming draft, and find a star one way or another through the draft or a big swing on the trade market. But until they start crossing a few things off that to-do list, they'll sit at the bottom of both the standings and the rankings around the league.

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