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Kings pick up another win as the tank takes a hit

The tank has been struggling recently.
By | 37 Comments | Mar 14, 2026

Feb 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) reacts after a call during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Update 10:30 pm

With a win 118-109 win Saturday against the Log Angeles Clippers, the Sacramento Kings have won 3 of its last 5 games. The Indiana Pacers now have two whole more losses than Sacramento. Indiana has lost 12 in a row and their tank is dominating the battlefield currently.

Precious Achiuwa finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud had 23 points. Dylan Cardwell returned and had 6 rebounds in 13 minutes.

Russell Westbrook had another triple double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 37 minutes. DeMar DeRozan had 27 points in 37 minutes.

Next up, the Kings take on the 14th place Utah Jazz, another winnable game.

From Earlier Preview:

The Kings are back in action tonight after winning two of their last three games. Considering fellow tankers like the Pacers and Wizards are riding 10+ game losing streaks, Sacramento needs to get back on track tonight with a comfortable L against the Clippers.

Who: Sacramento Kings (16-51) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (34-32)
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
When: 7:30 PM PT / 10:30 PM ET
Watch: ESPN

The good: Sacramento has some young players playing well. Maxime Raynaud remains at the top of that list.

The bad: They’re starting to beat up on some crappy basketball teams.

The good, again: The Clippers are significantly better than the Kings, and should cruise to victory tonight at home. Although they are on the 2nd night of a back-to-back.

The scary: The Pacers have lost 12-straight. The Wizards have lost 10-straight, and only 2.5 games separate the 4 worst teams in the league. Why does that matter? If the Kings rise to 4th, that exposes them to the 40+% chance of picking 6th, 7th, or 8th in the 2026 NBA Draft. You can still find great players there, but it’s markedly worse than a top-3 pick.

Prediction: Kings 116, Clippers 105.

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Jman1949
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March 14, 2026 11:48 am

Still no news about Aspiration;
No point to engage speculation.
Silver’s failure to act
Is his pattern in fact.
Vivek’s presence—our real frustration!

Jman1949
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March 14, 2026 11:51 am
Reply to  Jman1949

+1 Balmer ain’t sweatin’ it!

comment image&ct=g

Jack
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March 14, 2026 3:16 pm
Reply to  Jman1949

If this works out you might get more birds with less stones. Hear me out. If we land in the top three IMO we could get Boozer. That’s my pick. Now for a point guard. Toronto still wants Sabonis and we include Poelti in the trade.Okay. Sabonis, Carter, Eubanks and our #31 and #41 drakt picks for Barrett, Colin Murray Boles, Poelti and the Raptors first round this years pick(17 to 21). plus another future first rounder. With their pick(17 to 21) the Kings draft Christian Anderson our future point guard. Starters: Anderson, Barrett, Murray, Boozer and Raynaud\Cardwell. Still have Clifford, Precious, Colin Murray Boles, Hunter, Hayes( like him as a backup). IMO still need to at least trade Monk and DDR. IMO Poelti could be backup to either Raynaud or Cardwell if heaven forbid either one gets hurt.Or if possible trade him. It would be nice to have your cake and eat it too. What say some of you?

murraytant
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March 14, 2026 4:42 pm
Reply to  Jack

Trader Jack-were you featured at a recent Kings game?
The final record just gives better ping pong odds. Getting the third worst record would only result in pick #3 i IF Kings get the right balls. The value of the worst, second worst etc. record is that only 4 teams get balls and if the worst team gets jumped by 4, then that worst team can pick no worse than #5.
The lower the Kings record, the better. Right now, thought, they are truly losers who cannot lose, so they may end up with 3rd or 4th worst record and the 7th or 8th pick IF 4 teams jump. However, odds are that 1-2 teams with some of the 4 worst records will avoid being jumped. Hence at the 4th worst record, the Kings may get #6.

That’s past AJ, Boozer, Peterson, Wilson and the best 2 of the 4 good PG’s. Not so good.
Get the worst record- far, far less likely now, and get no worse than #4.
I am hoping for a PG- Flemings, Acuff, Brown or Wagler in that order.
Trade with Toronto- I like Murray Boles , RJ- not sure, Poerl-no
The #17-21 might result in Anderson but not good enough for a PG. If I got # 3 overall, I would skip Cam and get the best PG.
and I would still do this trade. .

Jack
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March 14, 2026 6:31 pm
Reply to  murraytant

Ijust threw out some ideas to ponder. If it were me I’m would take Kingston Flemings before anyone else. I really like the guy and could be the Kings future franchise point guard for years to come. As a coach IMO the point guard is the most important player on the team.
Another idea is to trade Sabonis for Jalen Suggs and Jett Howard or Tristan De Silva. Suggs would be the Kings shooting quard. Great defensive ball player. Would have him for 5 years well into his prime.
The big question is who will play power forward. Might be able to get a good one at either #31 or #41. Precious would be a great backup but not a starter. Sure would love to get Tari Eason or Jarance Walker.

Jack
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March 14, 2026 6:35 pm
Reply to  Jack

Just a thought. Sabonis for Suggs and Wendel Carter Jr. Money works. Might have to throw in a couple of seconds or a first.

murraytant
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March 14, 2026 4:44 pm

Kings suck- cannot even lose with a 20 point “lead” by the Pacers. Beat Pacers+ Bulls= poor lottery position
Nets, Pacers and Wiz will NOT lose another game this year except to each other. Kings play Nets twice- I can see that disaster coming.

Scorliss_In_Sacramento
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March 14, 2026 7:48 pm
Reply to  murraytant

Yeah Kings will end up 4th worst at best. It’s possible Utah out tanks them and Kings finish 5th.

Kings head coach is desperately trying to win every game while other coaches are secure / confident with tanking.

Ellis5
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March 14, 2026 9:19 pm

Michael Malone calling Raynaud “Mad Max” was pure pleasure.

Ellis5
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March 14, 2026 9:31 pm

How come Intuit fans are easily heard chanting “Let’s go Kings!”… in the 3rd quarter of an NBA game?

MillersCornrows
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March 14, 2026 10:01 pm

What an utterly stupid and pointless game. 43 shots for Precious, Westbrook, and DeMar and Precious and Westbrook probably won’t be back next season.

RikSmits
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March 15, 2026 12:56 am

Actually, I could totally see the Kings getting into a bidding war with themselves to overpay for both Westbrook and Precious to be back next year.
The only thing that will likely save them from it is that they have painted themselves into a cap-hell corner.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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March 15, 2026 7:43 am
Reply to  RikSmits

I don’t think any of those guys will be around next season. Russ is gone, DDR will be cut or traded for his partial guarantee, and Precious will be too expensive.

All three should have been gone this past deadline.

RobHessing
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March 14, 2026 10:19 pm

74 minutes for DDR & Russ.

Vivek. Rudderless.

Amonk81
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March 14, 2026 11:32 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

Egregious. Those guys should not play in end. What happened to all the talk of developing young players? That lasted zero games. I mean, I don’t really want precious to be playing that much either.

Carl
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March 14, 2026 10:39 pm

The Kings are pissing their future away for meaningless wins to placate veteran players no Kings fan will ever care about again.

Amonk81
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March 14, 2026 10:51 pm
Reply to  Carl

It borderson infuriating. They are so fucking stupid. They’re gonna screw this up. Why not just fucking fully tank like everybody else is doing while you still can.??

murraytant
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March 14, 2026 11:00 pm
Reply to  Amonk81

this is over the border into deep infuriating.
Lose the fucxxng games !
Tomorrow Utah comes to town. Big test
I fully expect a flunk

Amonk81
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March 14, 2026 11:30 pm
Reply to  murraytant

I tried to edit that out, but couldn’t for some reason. It doesn’t border on. I mean, seriously, this ownership. This owner is an asshole and a moron.

they should just be starting G league guys or anybody, but the players who might get them to win. Particularly at the end of the games. I mean, it’s what everybody else is doing. Why wouldn’t you.

Ralfmouth
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March 14, 2026 11:00 pm

I’m beginning to think the fact that Christie hasn’t been reined in by the front office/ownership to tank more effectively and help the club’s long-term prospects is just another piece of evidence in the long thread proving Ranadive is using a Miriam Adelson-like plan to alienate the fan base by continually undercutting the team so that he can more easily move to another city.

Ralfmouth
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March 14, 2026 11:02 pm
Reply to  Ralfmouth

Either that or he’s so neurotic that he can’t handle being the last place team at the end of the season because he’d be the laughingstock of the league. Oops, too late…

RobHessing
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March 15, 2026 8:03 am
Reply to  Ralfmouth

And they’ll run it back next year, with the “sales” job of Domas, Keegan & LaVine being healthy. They’ll miss the chance to add an elite young talent, they’ll either lose Achiuwa or grossly overpay him, and they’ll be a 28 to 35 win team next year.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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March 15, 2026 8:09 am
Reply to  RobHessing

comment image

Adamsite
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March 15, 2026 8:16 am
Reply to  Ralfmouth

I think it’s just more clear evidence that there never has been and likely never will be any clear plan for the future. Vivek just lives for the present and has the patience of a 5 year old.

You don’t go through 4 GMs and 8 coaches in 13 seasons if you have a plan.

Ralfmouth
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March 15, 2026 3:30 pm
Reply to  Adamsite

Absolutely agree, other than to try to fleece the fans as much as he can. But the inability to tank is a whole new level of idiocy, unless there’s an ulterior motive which is what I’m beginning to think is the case. I mean, just play the scrubs and lose! Is it because he’s so miserly that he doesn’t want to get fined for tanking like the Jazz do? It just baffles the mind. The ‘same as it ever was’ element is that they continually find new lows (this time by not being competent enough to find the new low in the standings).

Ralfmouth
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March 15, 2026 3:31 pm
Reply to  Ralfmouth

There is literally no such thing as rock bottom with this ownership group.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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March 15, 2026 9:05 am

So Kyle Flipowski, who has been playing very well for the Jazz, is “resting” tonight against the Kings. It’s the first game he’s missed since mid-November.

The Jazz will be without 7 of their top 10 scorers, including all 5 of their normal starters.

Other teams know what they doing. The Kings, on the other hand, have no fucking clue.

ajonez81
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March 15, 2026 9:22 am

Kangz so bad they aren’t even good at losing. Thank God Westbrook got another historic triple double. Him and DDR heroically led us to the win, another legacy game for both to pad their stats!
This team cannot do one single thing correctly, absolute fail from top to bottom and now about to ruin the tank at the end. How is it possible that this season has been zero fun and yet somehow could get worse and ruin our chances of getting better.
Just when you think they can’t steal any more joy they do. I might have to stop even following the wins and losses, just put the fandom on pause until the draft.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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March 15, 2026 9:43 am

WTF?

The Sacramento Kings are signing guard Killian Hayes to a two-year deal, agent Yann Balikouzou of LIFT Sports Management tells ESPN. The former No. 7 pick played in 10 games for the Kings over two 10-day contracts and now lands a full deal.

Shams Charania Tweets (@shamsbot.bsky.social) 2026-03-15T16:37:10.000Z

SuperShaka
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March 15, 2026 9:57 am
Reply to  Adamsite

Do the Kings know they can sign multiple players on 10 day contracts in a season? Or is every other available PG on the market declining their calls?

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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March 15, 2026 10:15 am
Reply to  SuperShaka

I’m hoping next year’s terms on fully non-guaranteed because I don’t know why you give a guy who is shooting 27% from the field and 20% from three guaranteed money. Basically it’s likely just guaranteed money until the end of this season with camp invite for next season.

Maybe his non-guaranteed deal can be a trade asset this summer? It’s all I’ve got at this point.

Hobby916
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March 15, 2026 11:35 am
Reply to  Adamsite

Sadly, he’s the 2nd best PG in the roster.

Carl
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March 15, 2026 10:16 am
Reply to  Adamsite

There’s nothing about that that makes any sense at all. Hayes is shooting under 27% from the field with the Kings. Does he know famous people who can sit next to Vivek? Is he dating Anjali?

RikSmits
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March 15, 2026 10:50 am
Reply to  Carl

Is he dating Anjali?

Good basketball play, Killian!

RikSmits
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March 15, 2026 10:48 am
Reply to  Adamsite

LOL.
I wonder what the spin of Perry will be on that one.

Let’s hear some more of that six pillars nonsense.
Doesn’t apply to Scott, it seems.

Murf
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March 16, 2026 11:12 am
Reply to  RikSmits

If you listened to Sacramento Sports radio this morning you surely heard that spin, Perry must have photos of them with farm animals the way some of them spin what the team is doing

Hobby916
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March 15, 2026 11:33 am
Reply to  Adamsite

THIS is the PG that they needed to bring this team together. I knew they were just a PG away from competing, lol.

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