Now that the Sacramento Kings’ 2024-25 NBA season has come to a close, it’s time to evaluate the current roster as we look ahead to next year. This means reviewing how each player performed this past season and identifying ways they can continue to grow. Over the next few days, we’ll break down the key returning players and assign a grade based on their 2024-25 contributions.
With that said, let’s kick off the grading process.
Isaac Jones 2024-25 Season
Few players have taken a tougher road to the NBA than Isaac Jones. After finishing high school without a single college offer, Jones took a job at Puget Sound Pipe & Supply in Kent, Washington, packaging and selling bathroom and water pipes.
But through persistence and hard work, he carved out a path—first at Wenatchee Valley College, then the University of Idaho, and finally Washington State. Even after that journey, Jones went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft and had to earn his spot in the league through a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings.
Jones made the most of that opportunity, appearing in 40 NBA games as a rookie. In limited minutes (7.6 per game), he averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds while posting an impressive 67.8% true shooting percentage. That performance alone is enough to warrant a passing grade—but does his year merit more than that?
For a player in Jones’ role, key attributes include floor spacing, the ability to attack closeouts, and reliable defense—especially near the rim.
Jones shot 37.5% from three-point range, but on just eight total attempts—too few to establish him as a true perimeter threat. He drove to the basket just nine times all season, per NBA.com, though 73.3% of his shot attempts came at the rim, suggesting some upside in that area, according to Dunks & Threes.
Defensively, the advanced metrics are mixed. He ranked in just the 18th percentile for Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, but he did post a strong 82nd percentile block rate, hinting at rim protection potential.
In all, Jones’ rookie campaign showed flashes but was uneven overall. His performance leaves room for optimism but doesn’t yet rise to the level of a breakout success like Keon Ellis—at least, not yet.
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Sacramento Kings playoff history, year-by-year records
While the Sacramento Kings won’t be taking part in the 2025 NBA Playoffs—for the 18th time in the past 19 seasons—it’s still that time of year. So, we thought it would be a good opportunity to take a look back at the franchise’s historical playoff performance.
Before diving in, it’s worth noting that the Kings have only been based in Sacramento since 1985. Prior to that, the team went by different names and cities: the Rochester Royals, the Cincinnati Royals, and the Kansas City Kings. For the sake of completeness, this post will include data from all those eras.
Now, let’s get into it.
Sacramento Kings Playoff Record
Throughout their franchise history, the Kings have played in 192 playoff games, compiling a record of 81 wins and 111 losses—a .422 winning percentage. Only eight current NBA franchises have fewer total playoff victories: the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors (per RealGM).
The Kings have reached the playoffs 30 times overall. They’ve advanced to the second round on 20 occasions, made the conference finals eight times, and reached the NBA Finals once—in 1951. That lone Finals appearance ended in triumph, as they defeated the New York Knicks in a memorable seven-game series to win the championship.
However, the Sacramento era has been far less fruitful. Since relocating in 1985, the Kings have made the playoffs just 11 times. They’ve reached the second round four times, made a single conference finals appearance (in 2002), and have not returned to the NBA Finals. The team’s 16-year playoff drought from 2006 to 2022 still looms large, and they haven’t won a playoff series in over two decades.
Among current NBA franchises, the Hornets and Pelicans are the only ones to have never reached the conference finals. Meanwhile, the Hornets, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Clippers, and Nets have never reached the NBA Finals. And ten teams—Hornets, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Clippers, Nets, Magic, Suns, Pacers, and Jazz—have never won a title.
Thanks to the franchise’s early success in Rochester, the Kings avoid being part of those historically title-less groups—though their modern struggles have made that championship feel increasingly distant.
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