The Kings aren’t entering this season with particularly high expectations. One NBA scout saw no reason to dress it up.
“Yeah, they’re going to be bad.”
That was the scout’s assessment in Sports Illustrated’s 2026-27 season preview. No advanced metric. No complicated explanation. Sometimes “bad” covers it.
“Everyone expects Sacramento to be bad, and they will be,” another scout told SI.
The Kings are coming off a 22-60 season and are returning Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, mostly because nobody has been persuaded to take either one.
Anyway, the scout credited Sabonis with raising Sacramento’s floor, noting that his ability to produce triple-doubles can help an otherwise overmatched team steal some games.
LaVine also remains one of the league’s better off-the-dribble perimeter shooters. So, yes, opponents will still have to prepare for Sacramento. They just aren’t expected to lose very often after doing so.
The more meaningful reason to watch may be rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 overall pick out of Arkansas. Acuff averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists in his lone college season and should receive every opportunity to run the show.
One scout said Acuff “may end up being a great player,” while predicting plenty of rookie turnovers and questionable shots along the way. That sounds about right. Development is rarely a straight line, especially when it takes place on a rebuilding team.
Keegan Murray will also be asked to rebound from an injury-filled season in which he shot just 27.7 percent from three. Meanwhile, veteran newcomer Ben Simmons is attempting an NBA comeback after sitting out last season.
SI predicted another 22-60 finish for Sacramento. Perhaps the Kings will prove everyone wrong. Until then, the beam may want to prepare for several nights off.
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