Three Decisions That Will Define the Kings' Offseason

The Sacramento Kings have no shortage of decisions for this offseason, but these three stand out as major choices for Scott Perry and the front office.

Nov 28, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie slaps the hand of guard Russell Westbrook (18) during a time out in the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

With the worst record in the league (14-50), the Sacramento Kings have a huge offseason coming up as they look for their next franchise player in the draft. Ideally, they'll have one of the top selections, but with 18 games left and a large group of teams at the bottom of the standings, it's hard to say where the Kings will end up following the May 10th NBA Draft Lottery.

But that's just one of the questions surrounding the Kings as they head into the offseason. This will be Scott Perry's second year with Sacramento, but the first one where it feels like there is a little more pressure to do something. He inherited an extremely difficult situation from Monte McNair and Wes Wilcox, and hasn't done much to reshape the roster at the top due to the difficult nature of moving the veterans.

With all eyes on Perry, here are the three decisions that will define the Kings offseason.

1. Who to Draft

No matter where the Kings end up in the draft, they have to nail this draft pick. It's their best shot at getting a franchise player in the building, as that's something they are desperately lacking with the roster as is. That decision should be easier the higher they pick, but even top picks can go wrong, as everyone in Sacramento knows and remembers.

Perry had a great start to his draft prowess with the Kings last offseason, when he came away with Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud, and even added Dylan Cardwell as an undrafted free agent. They might not be future stars, but they look like NBA rotational players at worst in their rookie years.

Getting Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa would be incredible, but whoever the Kings bring in is priority number one for the offseason as all eyes shift towards the future even more.

2. Vets on the Move

Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) looks to shoot the ball against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

If this feels like an exact copy/paste from last offseason and the trade deadline, it's because it is. The Kings have multiple veterans on the roster who don't fit. Between Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk, the Kings have four veterans who will likely be in trade rumors once again.

But unlike last offseason and the trade deadline, they should be easier to trade this upcoming offseason with one less year on their contracts. LaVine and DeRozan will both be expiring contracts, and there appeared to be significant interest in Sabonis at the deadline, at least from the Toronto Raptors.

Perry likely won't get a haul for any of the players, but it feels like it's time to move on from as many as possible. We've been saying that since the minute he took over though, so no promises anything happens. But choosing how much, or how little, or a return the Kings choose to get for any of the veterans is going to be a huge decision for Sacramento this offseason.

3. Westbrook Return?

There have already been murmurs of Russell Westbrook returning for the Kings next year. He's set to hit free agency and had no reported interest from anyone on the buyout market, so it feels safe to assume there won't be many, if any, teams this offseason hoping to sign him.

That leaves a return to Sacramento on the table, and even likely, as he's gained the respect of the Kings coaching staff and teammates throughout this season. But the Kings will have to decide how much they are investing in the future, and how many minutes and key rotational spots they want to give to veterans.

Unlike the other veterans on the roster, Westbrook is the only one that Perry brought in. He was talked about for months before finally signing here, and while the season has been a huge disappointment, Westbrook is clearly making a huge impact for the franchise. It's not going to be the biggest financial decision, or even talent-based choice, but it's key for next year at least as the Kings reshape the roster even more under Perry.