Kings Take Down Nets - Has the Maxime Raynaud Era Already Started?

It went down to the wire, but the Sacramento Kings got the close win over the Brooklyn Nets, winning 126-122 to improve to 19-53. It's a tough game for the tanking crowd, as the Nets moved to 17-54 and now have a 1.5 game 'lead' on the Kings in the draft lottery race.

But the Kings have made it clear that they have no intention of tanking or losing on purpose. They are going to come out and give it their all, with whoever is on the court. On the downside, both Nique Clifford and Killian Hayes left the game early with injuries, but outside of the continued injury woes, it was a solid game with some great takeaways for the Kings.

Malik Monk had a game-high 32 points and six assists off the bench, showing that he can still catch fire with the best of them, but as it has been since the trade deadline, the focus for the Kings is on the young players, and Maxime Raynaud made another strong case for a starting spot next season as his breakout stretch continued.

He didn't extend his 30-point game streak, as he had 32 points against the Spurs and 30 points against the 76ers, but he finished tonight with yet another double-double. He had 22 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block on an impressive 10-of-13 (76.9%) from the field. He didn't take any threes tonight, after taking nine in the last two games, but he was able to get to his spots and get great looks all night long against the Nets.

Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud is averaging 23 ppg, 8 rpg and shooting 65.3% the last 5 games
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) March 23, 2026

That's key because Russell Westbrook was sitting on the bench tonight. The two have developed an on-court connection in the pick-and-roll, especially, and we've seen Raynaud's number plummet in games where the future hall of famer sits.

But not tonight. Raynaud is looking more comfortable in the offense, and we're starting to see the Kings use him more than just as a pick-and-roll threat. That will be key for the rookie big man's development going forward.

Being great in the pick-and-roll is one thing, but if Raynaud can blossom and have an all-around offensive game, he goes from a rotational player to a potential All-Star.

What to Do Next Season

Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) controls the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Scott Perry and the Kings have no shortage of questions to answer this offseason, but rising to the top of the list is what to do with the center position. For a team that was so guard-heavy to start the year, center has quickly become a position of strength, and one that could be log-jammed even more than the guards to start this year.

It's easy to forget with the season going the way it has, but Domantas Sabonis is still one of the best players in the NBA. The Kings will have to decide if they want to pair Sabonis and Raynaud together, have them stagger in the rotation, or if they want to lean into Raynaud and move the All-NBA center. The time for those decisions is looming, and Raynaud is making his case every night that the era for him as the starting center of the Sacramento Kings could be closer than we all thought.