The Sacramento Kings had just a 3.8 percent chance to keep their first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but after Monday’s lottery, it will officially be sent to the Hawks at No. 13. Sacramento won’t regain control of its future first-round picks until 2026. What happens next?
Since their elimination by the Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament, the Kings have addressed several important issues. Monte McNair and the team mutually agreed to part ways, and Scott Perry, former GM of the Knicks, has since taken over. Doug Christie has also been officially named the head coach, removing the interim label.
This summer will bring more answers, especially regarding Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan. That trio didn’t meet expectations this season. Sabonis has shown no desire to be traded, and the Kings are hoping to keep it that way—winning would certainly help. LaVine is also a candidate for an extension. Looking back, the decision to acquire DeRozan last summer appears to have been a misstep.
What Sacramento needs most now is stability and a clear sense of direction. Fans are hoping the Kings can start to build that foundation this summer, reducing the uncertainty about the team’s future.
Kings need to establish what direction they want to go in
The Kings finished ninth in the Western Conference with a 40-42 record. However, two teams that finished below them, the Spurs and Mavericks, are likely to improve next season after dealing with injuries and a significant trade during the 2024-25 season.
Staying competitive in such a tough conference is a step in the right direction for Sacramento, but fans are hoping for more. The Kings were expected to build on their 2023 playoff appearance (their first since 2006), but they’ve taken a step back since then. NBA insider Marc Stein recently reported that Sacramento doesn’t plan to dismantle the roster this summer, but instead aims to become a serious contender in the West.
New GM Scott Perry is expected to have more freedom than Monte McNair to help the Kings reach that goal. Perry has emphasized the need to establish an identity, and reshaping the roster will play a part in that. It’s clear that simply copying elements of the Bulls’ past Play-In roster won’t deliver better results.
Fans are hoping this offseason will lay the groundwork for a solid future. Ultimately, though, actions will speak louder than words. It remains to be seen what the Kings can accomplish.