2026-27 Season Preview: Sacramento Kings

Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk return as the Kings look to establish a new identity.

Offseason Recap

•

Last Season

:

22-60 (14th in West, missed postseason)

• Key Additions

Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban, Emanuel Sharp, Ben Simmons

Every Kings move this offseason

Season Outlook

As the Kings continue to double down on youth, it’s time for the returning core to apply what they learned from departed veteran leaders Russell Westbrook (retired) and DeMar DeRozan (released, signed with Denver).

Improved health will go a long way in helping determine what this roster has in store for the future, with key returns expected from Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis and more.

LaVine (finger surgery) was limited to 39 games, the third-fewest in a season in his 12-year career. He’ll be a big factor in the offense, as the only returning Kings player to have averaged 20.0+ ppg (22.4, 2024-25) in a season for the purple and black.

Another finger injury was among the ailments that held Murray to just 23 games last season. Sabonis (knee), a three-time All-Star, played in a career-low 19 games, and in-season acquisition De’Andre Hunter appeared in just two games before

season-ending eye surgery

. He rejoins the group in his final year before free agency.

It’ll be a fresh start across the board in Sacramento, as head coach Doug Christie integrates those returners at the same time 7th overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. assumes control of the offense. Their overall success depends on how long it takes this mixture to find its new identity.

Breakout Candidate: Darius Acuff Jr.

March’s Rookie of the Month, Maxime Raynaud, turned heads in Sabonis’ absence, and Precious Achiuwa mounted a career year (10.1 points, 6.7 rebounds) in 2025-26. But the King best positioned to break out this year is the one poised to take the keys to the kingdom: Acuff Jr.

The scoring-minded guard averaged 23.5 points in his freshman year at Arkansas, while dishing out 6.4 assists and shooting 44% from three. As the Kings work out their rotations around him, they’ll look to Acuff Jr. to pressure defenses and help boost last season’s 26th-ranked offense (

110.6

).

1 Number To Know

10 —

21 different Kings players averaged double-digit minutes last season, and the current roster brings back 10 players who saw at least 20 mpg in 2025-26. And that’s before accounting for the likes of Acuff Jr., second-round picks Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp, and Ben Simmons.

Christie and staff will have a minutes juggling act on their hands in the early going, but the resulting depth could become the young Kings’ calling card in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.

— John Schuhmann

5 Must-See Matchups

• Oct. 21: Kings vs. Clippers

—

Opening night for the Kings should bring Acuff Jr.’s NBA debut, and a first real look at what Sacramento hopes is its long-term lead guard solution. The environment inside Intuit Dome will be unpredictable and present an interesting opportunity for the visitors.

• Jan. 25: Kings vs. Nuggets

While Westbrook won’t be walking through that opposing tunnel this season, the young Kings will get to face their former vet DeRozan, who suits up for the Nuggets in this Mile-High matchup. DeRozan was a top-3 Kings scorer in both his seasons in Sacramento, and this game will give a look at who’s now filling that scoring gap.

• Jan. 27: Kings vs. 76ers —

Newest King Simmons returns to Philadelphia, where he was drafted first overall in 2016. Simmons last played in Philly on Nov. 22, 2024, for the Nets in a 113-98 loss. After his year away from the league, Simmons will play in the City of Brotherly Love as a visitor for only the fifth time in his career.

Jan. 31:

Kings vs. Pistons —

Sacramento’s significant road trip rolls on to Detroit, where Acuff Jr. grew up, claiming a state championship as a high school sophomore before transferring to Florida. The Kings have also been linked to Pistons All-Star Jalen Duren in trade talks. Will this be a matchup of measuring, or reunions?

• April 7: Kings vs. Rockets

— Sacramento beat four teams more than once last season, and the only foe they topped twice in a row, impressively, was playoff-bound Houston, the first win

coming in the clutch in OT

. This year, they’ll face off in the final week of the playoff push with seeding on the line, after meeting twice in one week in early Feb.

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Complete Regular Season Schedule

Preseason Storylines

Regardless of Simmons’ ultimate role on this Kings roster, the return of the former top draft pick will be a league-wide storyline this fall. The 2018 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star sat out 2025-26 after splitting 2024-25 (5.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.6 apg) with the Nets and Clippers. The intrigue here centers more on his fit in the league – if he can return to his early success – than his fit in Sacramento.

Speaking of returns and fit, Murray is the Kings’ main returner from injury that factors into their long-term plans. In the first year of the

five-year rookie extension

he signed last offseason, Murray should benefit from a full preseason build-up, which he missed last season due to a torn thumb ligament.

Joining Murray in the Kings’ long-term plans, Acuff will get his first taste of NBA preseason action after holding his own in NBA Summer League, logging multiple 20+ point outings. Kings fans will be eager to see Acuff Jr.’s ability to command an NBA offense as a teenager, before the bright lights of Opening Week.

Complete Preseason Schedule