The Sacramento Kings ended another disappointing season with a 40-42 record, missing the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 years.
After finally breaking their playoff drought in the 2022-23 season, many believed the franchise was on the upswing. Although they’re in a better position now compared to before that milestone year, uncertainty still lingers.
Over the past couple of years, much of the initial optimism has faded. However, with a fresh front office and new coaching staff in place, there’s renewed hope—could the Kings’ future finally be looking up?
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes remains skeptical about the Kings’ future, ranking them dead last—14th out of the 14 lottery teams—in terms of outlook.
He points out that while Sacramento holds all their own first-round picks now that their 2025 selection has conveyed to the Hawks, along with unprotected picks from the Spurs (2027) and Timberwolves (2031), their situation still feels bleak.
Despite a solid cache of draft assets, the Kings’ problems run deeper. Last season revealed they might be in even worse shape than many expected. De’Aaron Fox left the team last year, and Domantas Sabonis is reportedly looking for clarity on his future this summer. Both were key figures during Sacramento’s only playoff appearance since 2006. Additionally, head coach Mike Brown was fired mid-season.
Keegan Murray shows promise but remains stuck in a fifth-option role because the Kings keep bringing in scoring veterans like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who haven’t driven meaningful team success.
Hughes sums it up bluntly: as long as owner Vivek Ranadivé oversees a disorganized operation marked by short-sighted moves, poor talent evaluation, and constant turnover in coaching and management, the Kings won’t build anything sustainable.
Still, with a revamped front office in place, there’s some hope that the franchise might finally steer in a better direction. Sacramento is expected to make more significant roster upgrades this offseason, but until those happen, their future will continue to be viewed as “hopeless.”