Predicting Who the Kings Would Protect in an NBA Expansion Draft

Expansion has been on the docket for a long time in the NBA, and it could be coming to a vote this summer. According to Brad Townsend, who writes for the Dallas Morning News, Las Vegas and Seattle are the favored cities to gain (or regain) an NBA franchise.

In 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats were added to the league, each team could protect eight players from being included in the draft. If expansion goes forward this summer and the number of players remains the same, who should the Sacramento Kings protect?

Think it's going to be an extra-great year for Seattle. I'm hearing NBA Board of Governors likely to vote on expanding by two teams this summer and Las Vegas and Seattle are favored.
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 9, 2026

1. Their 2026 NBA Draft Pick

It would have been easy to pick Keegan Murray first, and he’s not far behind, but we have to be honest with ourselves about the state of the Kings. There are some promising players on the team, but their most exciting player is still in college.

As long as the Kings continue on their path, they should have a shot at one of Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, or Kingston Flemings next summer. Whoever they draft out of that five will immediately be catapulted into the limelight as the Kings' most promising player since Tyrese Haliburton and the primary focus going forward.

Kingston Flemings' burst on display pic.twitter.com/EcQMNa0WFt
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) February 8, 2026

2. Keegan Murray

As I mentioned, Murray wasn’t going to end up very far down this list. Although he hasn’t had his best offensive season, Keegan is the most important player currently on the roster.

Murray is shooting just 27% from three this season, but his defensive ability makes him incredibly important to this Kings team. Keegan is averaging 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks a game, and even has a five-block game on his resume from this season. Other than Dylan Cardwell, there is no one else on the team who makes as much of an impact on that end.

3. Nique Clifford

The 24th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft comes in third on our list, and he’s really come on as of late. Clifford has shown flashes of why the Kings traded into the first round to select him, but he’s taken a huge step recently. In the last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nique set a career high with 30 points while adding two steals and two blocks. Rookies are always going to have ups and downs, so we can’t expect that every night, but he’s coming along nicely.

Nique Clifford's past three games:

20.0 PTS
3.0 REB
3.7 AST
1.3 STL
1.0 BLK
55% FG
53% 3PT
87% FT
33.0 MIN

Really coming into his own while being thrown into the fire. pic.twitter.com/TuX9XKA1dl
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) February 8, 2026

4. Dylan Cardwell

The fan favorite and recent two-way convertee, Dylan Cardwell, beats out the Kings’ other rookie center by a smidge. Cardwell has been the best story for Sacramento this season after joining from Auburn on a two-way contract. Per 36 minutes, Cardwell is averaging 9.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks, which is just silly production for an undrafted player and an easy guy to want to hang on to.

5. Maxime Raynaud

He’s been overshadowed by Cardwell as of late, but Raynaud had some really solid outings early in the season. In a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Max put up 29 points and 11 rebounds while dealing with Donovan Clingan, who is one of the better defensive centers in the league. He isn’t close to the defender that Cardwell is, but his offensive potential could make him a really valuable piece for the Kings going forward.

6. Devin Carter

Until recently, Devin Carter has been an afterthought in the rotation and someone the Kings looked to be trying to give away. That’s all changed in just the last week. Carter has finally gotten a chance to play extended minutes, and in the last three games, he’s averaged 14 points and 4.3 assists with just one turnover per game.

Carter has always been a great defensive player, and if he can find a way to consistently make an impact on offense, the Kings might have another solid, young rotation player.

Devin Carter PUNCHES IT 👊pic.twitter.com/eOMKqnw86f
— Kings Nation (@KingsNationCP) February 10, 2026

7. Malik Monk

Other than Keegan, there aren’t many vets the Kings should be trying to hang on to. Between their large contracts and ages, Sacramento would likely be thanking teams that would be willing to take their veterans.

Malik Monk may very well be moved after the season, but he’s shown that he’s a positive player for the Kings. Monk is fourth on the team in on/off differential, according to Cleaning The Glass, and his ability to handle the ball could prove useful as the Kings start their rebuild.

8. De’Andre Hunter

De’Andre Hunter is a solid player, but he’s 28 and probably isn’t the Kings’ starting small forward of the future. He may be worth keeping around if an extension comes cheap enough (once his eye injury heals), but his main value is his expiring $25 million deal and his floor spacing abilities that are always in demand. The Kings may very well look to flip Hunter over the summer if the right deal presents itself.

It may have been a bit challenging to decide on the last few players, but if you put a name to the Kings’ future 2026 pick, things start to look a lot better in Sacramento. We’re at least a few years away from expansion, so this is mostly just an exercise in value for now. Still, it’s interesting to look at where the Kings are at before next summer’s draft and how much work they still need to do on their roster.