Kings' Rookies Still a Much-Needed Bright Spot in Dark Season

The Sacramento Kings' season hasn't quite gone according to plan, as they sit at 12-43 and last in the NBA. That is, unless the plan was to tank and hope to win the lottery.

But the Kings came into the season with playoff hopes and aspirations, at least from what they were saying coming out of training camp. They weren't expected to be good or reach those goals by many around the league, but few saw them falling this far in the standings.

Now, with just 27 games left, all focus and excitement has shifted to the upcoming draft lottery as Sacramento jockeys for position at the bottom of the standings. Unlike the other teams around them in the stands, though, the Kings aren't necessarily trying to lose. That's what has made the season so disappointing to many around Sacramento.

Even if they weren't supposed to be good, it's been a hard watch for the Kings this year as they sit with little direction in the early days of the rebuild. Thankfully, though, there have been three big standouts of late in the three rookies getting big minutes.

Rookies Leading the Way

The best thing about this season for the Kings is the amount of minutes they've been able to give Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell. Part of that has been due to injuries, but more recently, it has been a shift in philosophy and rotations as their development shifts into focus. And the three have all taken advantage of the opportunities.

They've gotten all the headlines lately for their strong play, with Raynaud having a career night against the New Orleans Pelicans last night, where he had 21 points and 19 rebounds. Clifford had arguably his two best games in the NBA so far right before that, and Cardwell mania has been running rampant in Sacramento for weeks.

Each game, one of the three of them is the main takeaway from the contest. From the postgame show with Deuce and Mo to the takeaway articles from myself, one of the three rookies generally gives us something positive to talk about every game. There haven't been many other bright spots to talk about, but it would be even worse if their strong play wasn't in the picture.

Building a Foundation

Jan 16, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (9) and center Maxime Raynaud (42) and center Dylan Cardwell (32) and guard Nique Clifford (5) celebrate after lighting the beam in celebration of their victory against the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

One of the most alarming aspects about this season for the Kings is the fact that they don't have a true young star to build around. And even with the trio of rookies playing well, that's still the case. Clifford has the tools to be a starting caliber player for any team in the league, Raynaud flashed his star potential last night again, and Cardwell looks like he could anchor a defense with the best of them. But none scream 'franchise player' at this stage of their careers.

That could be wrong, and one of them could blossom into a perennial All-Star, but the higher likelihood is that Scott Perry found three rotational players early on in his rebuilding process.

Finding a star is arguably more important, but finding rotational pieces that fit your culutre, playstyle, and identity is just as important. As a reminder, the NBA finals last year were between two teams with depth everywhere. They had their stars, but the rosters were completely built out from top to bottom.

Perry will still have to find a star or leader for this team, but the current approach looks like he is building from the ground up. In a dark season that has everyone looking ahead to the lottery already, it's good to remember that building that foundation with Clifford, Raynaud, and Cardwell is still a huge win. Now, they just have to hope they hit on the draft so they can build around the trio of rookies.

Rookies Leading the Way

Building a Foundation

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