Kings staring at reset button yet again as season collapses

This season has officially gone down the tubes in Sacramento.

The Kings own the league’s worst record at 13-46, and things have only unraveled further since the trade deadline. In the span of a week, Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and De’Andre Hunter all underwent season-ending surgeries. That’s three of the team’s four highest-paid players, gone.

The Kings were struggling even with their veterans available. Without them, the losses have piled up quickly. Sacramento did at least snap a franchise-record 16-game losing streak Monday against Memphis, but it was more of a pause than a pivot. They are now 4-26 on the road and headed straight for the lottery with a 13.8 percent chance at the No. 1 pick.

From a draft standpoint, the path is simple, wrote ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Don’t overthink it. Sacramento is turning over an expensive, aging roster and needs a long-term cornerstone, not a clean fit. Best player available has to be the priority.

The offseason picture is just as stark. Sacramento must get younger and cheaper. That likely means exploring trades involving Sabonis, LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, whose partially guaranteed contract offers some flexibility.

Either way, the Kings aren’t patching holes anymore. This is a teardown moment.