Only Three NBA Teams Predicted to Finish Worse Than Kings

The Sacramento Kings could finish as a bottom-five team in the NBA this season.

Nov 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) controls the ball while being defended by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

After losing their third straight game, the Sacramento Kings have fallen to 5-16 on the season, and it is very unclear where the franchise will go from here. With trade rumors surrounding the team, as guys like Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Keon Ellis, and more could be on the move, it is hard to predict how the Kings will finish their 2025-26 season.

However, Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes gave it a shot. Hughes predicts that the Kings will finish with a tragic 25-37 record.

"It got ugly in a hurry for the Sacramento Kings, who've looked disconnected and disinterested on both ends through the season's first several weeks," Hughes wrote. "Though the vibes are bad enough on their own, some of the problems are structural. Dennis Schroder was never going to solve anything at point guard, Keegan Murray's injury exposed the lack of depth at forward and a collection of defensively challenged personnel never really had a chance to compete."

Kings predicted to finish with 4th-worst record in NBA

Nov 28, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) bumps into Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) during the second half at Delta Center. | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

This 25-win mark would be tied for the fourth-worst in the NBA, according to Hughes' prediction. Only the Utah Jazz (24-58), Washington Wizards (18-64), and Brooklyn Nets (17-65) are predicted to finish lower than the Kings, while the New Orleans Pelicans matched their 25-win mark.

Of course, it is impossible to argue this outcome, as the Kings have won just five of their first 21 games, despite having a roster filled with talent.

"The Kings own bottom-five rankings in both offensive and defensive efficiency, head coach Doug Christie is antagonizing 'the haters' and every costly veteran on the roster is available in trade—even if very few teams are interested," Hughes wrote.

In fact, the Kings are on pace for just 19.5 wins this season, so their predicted 25-win mark is fairly generous compared to how they have performed this season. Especially if the Kings end up trading away some of their best players, they will ultimately decline much more than they hope.

The bright side?

2026 NBA Mock Draft 📝

2️⃣ Hawks (via Pelicans), Cameron Boozer (Duke)

5️⃣ Kings, Nate Ament (Tennessee)

1️⃣5️⃣ Warriors, Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas)

2️⃣2️⃣ Heat, Cameron Carr (Baylor)

Full List 🔗: https://t.co/qMq5lS8wPN pic.twitter.com/Afnaw1Kthj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 30, 2025

While the Kings finishing with just 25 wins on the season would be incredibly disappointing, it would give them a chance to reset. Landing a top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft could completely shift the franchise's outlook.

At this point, even fans are calling for a rebuild after seeing how the team has declined over the past couple of seasons. If they do not commit to it this season, then they could miss out on the opportunity altogether.

Sure, the Kings might finish as a bottom-five team in the NBA this season, but at least they own their 2026 first-round draft pick.