Kings Enter 2026-27 Season Rebuilt Around Youth and New Leadership

After a 22-60 finish, Sacramento heads into the new campaign with a revamped front office, coaching staff and a draft-driven roster reset.

The Sacramento Kings open the 2026-27 NBA season trying to move past one of the worst campaigns in the franchise's Sacramento era. They went 22-60 last year, the second-poorest mark since the team relocated, and missed the playoffs again after making it in 2023 to end a 16-year absence.

The reset has been led by general manager Scott Perry, with Doug Christie now entering his second season on the bench. Christie began as an assistant, moved to interim head coach when Mike Brown was dismissed in December 2024, and later had the interim label lifted.

Perry has leaned heavily on the draft to reshape the roster. The 2025 class brought in Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and undrafted Dylan Cardwell, all of whom cracked the rotation last season, while the 2026 draft added Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7 along with Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp.

Those young players join a veteran group that includes Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and Zach LaVine. The offseason also brought in free agent guard Ben Simmons, re-signed Precious Achiuwa and Daeqwon Plowden, and welcomed back De'Andre Hunter, who was limited to two games by an eye injury.

How Christie distributes minutes between the two groups is a central question for camp, especially after injuries limited Sabonis to 19 games, Murray to 23 and LaVine to 39 a season ago. The team's title odds sit at +100000 per BetMGM, with one projection calling for an 18-64 record.