Three Bold Predictions for the Kings' 2026-27 Season

There are plenty of question marks surrounding the Sacramento Kings ahead of the 2026-27 season. With training camp only about two weeks away, we should get more clarity about how the Kings will look this season, but we can go ahead and set some daring expectations.

The Kings are being highly doubted ahead of the upcoming season, with many projections showing them as the worst team in the NBA, but maybe things won't be that bad. Let's make a few bold predictions for the Kings' 2026-27 season:

Kings win 35+ games

Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie during the second quarter against the LA Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kings are not expected to win more than 25 games, with most projections having them around the 20-win mark. Of course, that is a bit lower than what I expect.

The Kings are coming off their second-worst season in the Sacramento era with a 22-60 record. They certainly will not get worse than last season, and we could even see them increase their win count by 13 or more.

With a core of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Darius Acuff Jr., and Keegan Murray, I don't think the Kings will be as bad as the consensus seems to believe. Sabonis alone raises the Kings' floor to at least 25 wins, and as long as the team can stay healthy, we should see them win 30+, and I believe they could even finish with a record much closer to 35-47.

The NBA's new lottery rules punish teams for finishing with a bottom-three record, so the Kings winning 35 games would put them in a sweet spot and still give them a good chance at a top draft pick.

This season's roster is much better than what the Kings had in 2025-26, injuries factored in, so we should expect a significant increase in wins.

Darius Acuff Jr. finishes top three in ROTY voting

Mar 15, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) drives to the basket past Vanderbilt Commodores forward Devin McGlockton (99) during the first half during the men's SEC Conference Tournament Championship at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kings got their guy with the seventh pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. By selecting Darius Acuff Jr., the Kings got their preferred prospect and their hopeful franchise point guard. While the 19-year-old could take some time adjusting to the NBA game, he should at least be one of the league's top rookies this season.

While it is certainly an uphill climb for Acuff Jr. to win Rookie of the Year, we could see him finish in the top three of voting. This means he would finish ahead of two of the following highly touted rookies: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson.

From what Acuff Jr. showed us in college, he is capable of proving himself as one of the top players. As a freshman at Arkansas, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, while shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.0% from beyond the arc. He became just the second player in SEC history to lead the conference in points and assists, and he should have a similar impact in Sacramento.

As the Kings' lead ball-handler, Acuff Jr. will have all the opportunities in the world to make an impact. We could see him average 20+ points and 5+ assists per game as a rookie, which would undoubtedly put him in the ROTY conversation.

Kings keep both Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine

Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine and forward Domantas Sabonis — Feb 21, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) look on during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Since the 2025-26 trade deadline, there has been plenty of talk about the Kings potentially parting with either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. It has become clear that the Kings do not have any long-term plans for either, but we could see this situation drag into the 2027 offseason.

There is an expectation that at least one of them will be traded ahead of next February's deadline, but I do not think there will be as much pressure to trade them as before. Unless the Kings are sitting in last place in the West and either star has played well enough to drastically improve their trade value, which I think those scenarios contradict, they will be staying in Sacramento this season.

LaVine will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and Sabonis has just two years left on his contract. Really, there is no pressure to ship away either of them before the trade deadline, especially if they are not getting a positive return.

I think we will see the Kings wait out the final year of LaVine's deal and have better luck shopping Sabonis next offseason on an expiring contract.

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