For this week’s Monday post, I thought I’d do a something a little different. There’s not really much interesting going on in terms of the actual basketball being played as of this moment, so I thought I’d take a look at the five current players who will likely have the biggest impact on the Sacramento Kings going forward.
5. Nique Clifford
This year’s first round pick has had an up-and-down rookie season. His last two games are the perfect example; Against the Nets, he scored 17 points to go with 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 37 minutes. Against the Hawks the night before, he scored just 3 points on 1 of 11 shooting. Nique’s definitely being asked to do a lot more than he is probably capable of, which hopefully will pay off in the future when he gets a more steady role. While his statistics aren’t eye-popping, I do think he has a lot of capabilities on both ends of the floor that just need polishing and in time he could be a very valuable roleplayer. A lot will depend on his development and his jump shot (which needs to be a lot more consistent), but I could see him being a solid player in the league for a while.
4. Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine makes this list solely because of the potential that his contract holds. When this season ends, LaVine will essentially be on a massive expiring deal worth nearly $49 million. If the Kings were to try to make any big moves, they’d likely be trying to use LaVine’s contract to do so. They could also use it to take back some longer term money and maybe get some assets back in return. I do think teams will be wary of making such a big move for a one dimensional player like LaVine in the offseason, so we might not see any movement on this front until next year’s deadline when most of that contract’s been paid out. I also wouldn’t put it past this organization to re-sign or extend LaVine on a more manageable deal, although I think that would be a big mistake (hence why it probably will happen).
3. Maxime Raynaud
Easily the bright spot of this season, Maxime Raynaud has proven to be one of the league’s best rookies this season, averaging 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game. He leads all rookies in double-doubles and rebounds per game, and is 11th in the entire league in field goal percentage at 56.5%. He’s even been showcasing his shooting range a little bit more of late, making 8 of his last 15 three point attempts. Max still has a way to go defensively, and he’ll need to continue to get stronger, but he’s already shown major skill in going against even some of the NBA’s best; His career-high 32 points a couple of weeks ago came against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. Kings fans might not look back on this season all too fondly, but it might have been the start of the next great Kings big man if he develops even further.
2. Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis’ future with the Kings is murky to say the least. This season was an absolute disaster for him, marred with injuries as he played just 19 total games before getting meniscus surgery on his knee. His long term fit with the team now that Maxime Raynaud (and to a lesser extent, Dylan Cardwell) has emerged as a real contributor is in doubt. The Kings have abandoned the offense that made Sabonis a focal point in his first couple years with the team, and his play has suffered on the court as a result when he has managed to play. But Sabonis is still under contract for two more years, and I think finding any trade will be difficult, especially with him coming off a knee surgery. If I had to guess, Sabonis will be on this team for at least the entirety of next year. Perhaps he can rehabilitate his value a bit and the Kings can move him on to greener pastures. When and how the Kings move on from Sabonis will likely have lasting ramifications for this team.
1. Keegan Murray
I still think Keegan Murray is the most important player for this team going forward, even after this rough year where he’s only managed to play 23 games and hasn’t looked particularly sharp when he has managed to play. Still, this is a league where wings matter, and Murray has shown that he can operate at an extremely high level in this league, particularly on the defensive end. His offense has also evolved, although his three point shot has regressed each consecutive year. Thanks to the extension he got last summer, Murray’s under contract with the Kings through 2031, so basically all the way through his prime. That new contract doesn’t even start until next season. For better or for worse, Murray is likely going to be a Sacramento King for a long time and will probably be one of their most important players throughout. Hopefully he can return to form next season.
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Upcoming Schedule:
- Wednesday, April 1st at Toronto Raptors
- Friday, April 3rd vs. New Orleans Pelicans
- Sunday, April 5th vs. L.A. Clippers
I get a lot of Denzel Valentine vibes from Nique and I don’t think Maxime is a starter on a serious team. Maybe that’s fine! Maybe I’m wrong! The confidence level in Perry/Vivek is in hell.
I don’t get putting limitations on Maxime after only one season, even the venerable Mr. Reynolds was stating the same in the last pod.
Maxime has been one of the best rookies and is only 22. Let’s see how he looks after adding muscle and gaining additional experience. I think he’s similar to Domas in that you will need to place a specific type of big next to him to accentuate his game. Monte and Perry never bothered with that regarding Domas, hopefully Perry doesn’t do the same to Max.
Denzel Valentine is one of those players that I thought would be at least a very solid NBA rotation player if not a high level starter. Injury issues were responsible for most of his undoing. Max is a rookie putting up good numbers. But as Jerry says “somebody has to score even on bad teams”. That being said, he’s been efficient. On the flip side, he has to become a rim protector, elite shooter, or elite passer to be anything other than a 5th best starter or backup big. That could happen but isn’t a sure thing. Time will tell. So far he’s exceeded expectations.
2027 free agent market will be huge for the Kings if they don’t pull any trades and let everyone expire. With the contracts of LaVine, Hunter and DeRozan all coming off the books, the Kings will have about $40 to 50 mil to spend in that FA market (after a factoring in picks). I think this is the plan…top 5 pick this year, hopefully. Another lottery first rounder next year, then big name free agent in 2027 as the final piece. Hopefully, that will bring this team back to relevance.
I agree. At this point I’d hold onto the vets, tank another season and go all in on 2028 with that cap space. Keep the books clean as possible for 2028. However, I don’t see vivek having that type of patience and he’ll likely end up extending at least one vet.
I really hope those wishes come true, but, alas, no sane-minded free agent will sign for the Kings. Maybe Harden or Paul George will be available then for their farewll tour. Any “good signing” will have to come through trades, unfortunately.
I’ll stop right there. When has there ever been a summer free agency for the Kings? The truth of the matter is, cap space only provides for an overpay of vets. The Kings would be better off just using that cap space to absorb bad contracts for payment in draft capital.
Quality free agents just aren’t coming to Sac in free agency unless there is a gross overpay at the expense of roster construction.
How often do big name free agents come to Sacramento? It doesn’t usually happen. I’m sure they could sign some people, but especially with this owner. Who’s gonna wanna come here that’s of any quality.
Vlade was very significant !
Crazy that the Kings got Vlade because the 6rs felt Matt Geiger was their center of the future and let Vlade walk.
Free agency has never been Sacramento’s friend. They have to trade those expiring contracts to force players to come to basketball hell. That’s how Petrie did it with Webber, which is one of the best trades in Sacramento history. Other than that, the best FA signing the Kings have ever had was Vlade. The only way the Kings can become relevant again is through good to great draft picks or solid trades.
Looking at that list of five most important players only solidifies how important landing a top five pick in this draft is. And hopefully that pick will be top 3. I’m high on Nique and Max, but we desperately need a talent with star potential to build around.
Max and Keeg are solid rotational players but both easily expendable. This team has zero important and must keep players at this point, no one to build around. Other teams have already stacked young talent and are in the same position while we have only this year of getting a good pick. I doubt they will even commit to 2 more years of tanking, they will shoot for mediocrity next year again.
if Keegan is #1 shaping Kings future…. The future looks very very bleak.
exactly!
Don’t tell that to King’s fans. I like most had high hopes for Keegan, I thought be could be Middleton 2.0, but a last his offensive game has not developed one bit. He’s just a glorified, overpaid 3 and D wing role player.
Yeah that is certainly an indictment of where this team is at. Keegan has one of the worst value contracts in the league at the moment.
Jaden Ivey released, go get him
He was released for being anti LGBTQ and publicly ranting his ridiculous beliefs about it.
Hard pass, no thanks.
Well a lot of young people say stupid things. He’s definitely worth a shot if you can sign him for something reasonable.
And whether it’s stupid is very subjective
He expressed his beliefs on his personal social media account. I don’t think that deserves being cut. The league is riddled with women beaters, degenerate players with multiple kids with multiple women, coaches that sit at NBA pressers pontificating on politics and SJ issues. That’s all okay. But the moment someone expresses their personal beliefs, there’s an issue.
Selective outrage at it’s best.
Hmmmm, so would it be ok to make anti-semetic comments? What if he called for the deportation of all Muslims? What if here were a muslim and stated something against Christians? What if he were white and made racial comments against blacks?
Would you be ok with those since it’s personal beliefs?
Keep in mind, Ivey not only went on about the LGBTQ community, he also called Catholicism a “false religion.” You still cool with that?
Personally, I have no tolerance for any bigotry or women beaters. Playing in the NBA is a privilege and shouldn’t come with carte blance behavior. People get fired in the real world for saying and doing far less.
People in the real world that get fired for expressing their religious beliefs win massive lawsuits regularly for it as well.
Why give a bunch of examples that didn’t happen, he just said as a Christian lgbt stuff isn’t right, and that Catholicism is a false religion, that’s what a lot of religious people think about other religions.
Nothing that is harming anyone or calling harm to anyone.
Cool, cool, Now play that card if he were Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or whatever and said the same things about Christians.
That hat don’t fit.
It isn’t a two way street, and anyone claiming so if full of cow poop.
I’m sure strict believers of those religions do believe christianity isn’t the true religion, in fact i guarantee it. If you are devout in your particular faith, you believe others are false. Are you trying to imply muslims don’t feel and express those thoughts about christians???
if a muslim did say that, more power to them and the shouldn’t be fired and blackballed for belief in THEIR religion
Who determines what someone can or can’t say on their personal time on their personal social media?
I’m fine with cutting players for making certain statements, but who determines what can and can’t be said? That’s my issue. There’s no rubric for this.
What’s worse, what Ivey said or what Bridges did? So why was Ivey cut and Bridges if I remember was just suspended?
Yes there is. See Myers Leonard.
As to Bridges, I’m 100% agreeing with you. Fuck wife beaters. Each franchise chooses their path of tolerance. That’s on them.
The Bulls mad a conscious decision to cut a guy who not only has disappointed on court but is saying things off the court that affect their brand. That is in their right and I’d hope the Kings have the same standards.
Remember, Rondo said a derogatory slur in game to Bill Kennedy when he was a King in 2015. Kennedy was not open about his sexualtiy at the time and Rondo apologized multiple times for what he said, including apologizing to the LBGTQ community.
Jaden Ivey…crickets. He’s blaming everyone else.
I want to start by being clear so this doesn’t get twisted—I’ve never had any issue with people having their own sexual preferences or with same-sex marriage. I’ve always supported that. People should be free to live their lives how they choose.
Now, on Jaden Ivey:
He’s clearly speaking from a deeply religious perspective. I don’t personally view it the same way, but I understand where that perspective comes from. That said, if I were in his position, I probably wouldn’t have spoken on it publicly—especially when you’re part of an organization that actively promotes and celebrates it.
@Adamsite — I think you’re stretching the comparison too far.
There’s a clear difference between:
If someone is advocating deportation, violence, or targeting a group—that’s obviously wrong. No debate there.
But that’s not what Ivey did.
If you actually listen to what he said, it was about what he personally believes is “righteous” or “unrighteous” based on his faith. He didn’t call for harm, exclusion, or violence—he said he doesn’t agree with it.
That’s similar to someone saying:
You may not agree with that viewpoint, but not agreeing or not wanting to participate isn’t the same as wishing harm on people. Assuming that leap is where I think the argument goes too far.
On the Catholicism comment—people critique religions all the time. That’s part of living in a society where different beliefs exist.
At the end of the day:
Big picture: nobody wants racism, antisemitism, or any form of real hate—there’s no place for that. But there also has to be room in a free society for people to hold different moral or religious beliefs without everything being labeled as bigotry. There was a time where people could say, “I don’t agree with that,” and the next step was to look at how they actually treat others—are they harming people, calling for violence, or acting with hate? Or do they simply hold a belief and still treat others with respect?
Those are not the same thing.
Two things can be true at once: you can disagree with someone’s lifestyle or choices based on your beliefs, and still be a decent, well-intentioned person. In the larger scope of the world, someone holding a religious conviction—even one many disagree with—is not the same as promoting hate or harm. And I think that distinction matters.
Solid take.
100%. I wouldn’t be shocked if he wins a pretty big lawsuit from the NBA for it.
LOL, go see how the NBA treated Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
Also, Ivey is getting paid his full expiring contract. What does he have to sue about? The false rage over this is just stupid.
He made some bigotry comments, got cut, and that is it.
It’s no different than the Kings cutting Precious if he made comments that affect the brand.
Why? What’s wrong with players stating their opinions? If he is worth getting then go get him. Simple as that.
Well, if you take a look at what he said, it equates to hate speech. While everyone is indeed entitled to their opinion, I don’t see the need for the Kings to sign any player – ANY PLAYER – that engages in hate speech.
Watching and reading his recent rants, my blind guess is that the young man is grappling with some mental issues right now, and I hope that he gets the help that he needs, help that will assuage the hate that is currently in his heart and his head.
On the other hand, it would be interesting to watch an organization that could not possibly sink any lower do just that.
I have to think the Bulls have a lot more info on Ivey then what he shared on his socials. Detroit dumped him for Huerter and the Bulls just cut him. This all happened within the last 2 months. That tells me all I need to know. The Kings don’t need reclamation projects to to pick through other people’s trash to find success. Let’s not be bottom feeders.
What they have on him is mediocre performance. If a high performing athlete said it he would get some cursory criticism and everyone moves on. Kobe Bryant was accused of rape and went to trial over it. He got acquitted because it wasn’t beyond a reasonable doubt but that’s much worse than some hateful words.
It’s not hate speech for religious people to call lgbt stuff a sin or immoral etc…crazy take
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month. And the NBA, they proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.’
Unrighteousness: The failure to adhere to moral, ethical, or divine principles, manifesting as wickedness, injustice, and sinfulness.
Not hate speech. Right. Okie dokie and out.
This coming from the one who would routinely criticize Katy Hunter for more than her job performance. Also one who never takes a minority opinion.
As an apparent Christian, Pride month does represent a failure to adhere to those things according to his religion…how is that hate speech lol
i get it, to some the Bible is hate speech, those people are also wrong. (I’m far from a Bible guy)
If I were a pro athlete and atheist that said on my public social media platform that this holy week for Christinas was for cultists and fools who believe in ghosts, how do you think that would fly?
The truth is, this isn’t about religion, it’s about ostracising a minority and bullied segment of the population. After all, don’t you think there are millions of LGBTQ folks who happen to be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or whatever? Explain this situation to them. It’s bigotry, plain and simple.
Hell no
how dare someone have religious beliefs…same as all that hate that Johnathan Issac got for not bowing to BLM and having his religious beliefs
Wow, the Johnathan Isaac reference came out of nowhere. You seem to definitely have a slant, which is your right.
The issue here isn’t what someone chooses to believe, it’s when they cast the first stone and tell others they are wrong in a bigoted and condescending way.
Not very Christ like, amirite?
Mathew 7:12
Out of nowhere? This board said the same exact stuff about Issac lol
This site has a hard slant, which is it’s right, but for the main contributors to deny it is funny
No.
yes. If he comes on the cheap (he will), he COULD be the most talented guy on our roster at only 23. He isn’t hurting anyone believing in his religion, can he hoop? If yes, bring him in.
Ivey is an class-A asshole. If the Kangz get him that might put the nail in the coffin for my interest in this team.
Your fandom should definitely be considered when filling out the roster
The fans’ fandom should definitely be considered when trying to make a profitable product. If they go get Ivey then fuck them, they don’t deserve to have any fans.
I guess if you bad mouth your country, spit on a law enforcement officer or worse yet physically assault one it’s ok.
Or if you start an illegal war.
Of course, just don’t say anything against blm or pride, funny when these mega companies are afraid of not toeing the woke line
Some people toe the kook line.
They will have plenty of fans if he is signed, same as when they sign other ACTUAL trash human beings that can put a ball through the hoop.
you can high horse it all you want, dude isn’t effecting ticket sales negatively if he can hoop
Not a high horse. Not a mentally depraved one either.
I miss the old days when we could say, “This thread is too far to the right.” 😉
That fool will be on turning point USA before he wears a kings jersey
“a look at the players who will define the next era of Sacramento Kings basketball.” The player who will most define, positively, the next era of Kings basketball is, we hope, the Kings’ pick made this June. If the team can pick high enough.
That’s a very non-controversial take. Here is a more controversial one. It’s probably too late now, but I would definitely be in favor of sitting Max or Nique in the fourth if it looks like Sac is going to win. I would be in favor of sitting whoever is playing well; I do not care about their age or years of experience. It is VERY likely that a player picked high in June, well selected, will be far more important than Max or Nique. Or AT LEAST getting that potentially great player is more important than our current guys getting a few more minutes this year.
But we gotta pick high enough, and we know what that means.
I’ll catch hell but Murray is one of my least favorite players. He’s the epitome of inconsistency, yet another player we hope for only to finally fizzle, get dealt and disappear forever. He is insanely inconsistent and no one even cares! His box scores make me want to poke my eyes out… when he does have a good game it’s 18 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. And when he doesn’t (half the time) it’s 6 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. He is fine defensively but we’ve been so devoid of defense here for so long people view him as elite. He’s Jason Thompson and Francisco Garcia wrapped up in one big wet blanket.
Also, Zach Lavine lol.
Who’s going to coach and develop these young players to make them a team, like we see with Joe Mazulla and these surprising Celtics or Eric Spoelstra, or Rick Carlisle and their lower first round picks.
Please, no more with the coaching change. It’s the roster and almost only the roster that counts. Aside from a couple, none of these guys are great or terrible. Maybe Spoelstra and Kerr great and Doc Rivers terrible beyond that the marginal difference is very small. To tell you how much it doesn’t matter, Rivers actually won a championship.
I’m fine with Keegan. He’s not why this team is bad. His contract could be better but he’s not not-worth-it. The injuries this year sucked but I think he brings a lot of value to the floor on both sides of the ball.
I’m fine with seeing if Clifford can develop into a rotational player. Vivek loves shooting guards and pet projects. Maybe he shakes out and you get a Francisco Garcia level player out of him.
Max is a nice pickup and a fine rotational big to develop under Sabonis while what’s left of the prime of Domas’ career gets wasted in Sacramento. As far as Max goes, though, he’s got a long ways to go to offer you a chance as the primary big. So having Sabonis is still not a bad thing. Its having other competing bigs here that take away from Max’s development that are more of the problem. Nique has to fit in between 5 other SGs, and that’s down from 7 to start the year because the Kings are terrible at development and put their players in shit positions consistently.
And finally, LaVine is a latrine. Whatever has to be done to move on from him aside from attaching a 1st rnd pick is what you do. There’s next to nothing redeemable about him being here and the sooner we can move on from the detestable mistake of bringing him to Sacramento the better.
Vivek is the big player here.
All the rest is just filler.
If the Kings had any player development at all we could see if these young guys blossom. One of a myriad of things the Kings do horribly (if at all)
if nique and maxime were in Miami they’d be showing a ton of potential and could turn into something.
In sac they stagnate-no one does shit to help. Stagnanto Kings. Or Stagramento.
Let’s see, it’s not like a bunch of guys are leaving the Kings organization and becoming stars elsewhere. It’s poor drafting and horrible trades that makes this franchise a mess.
Hali, Davion, Queta? Sure bad trades have hurt, but the Kings have not developed much talent either. There are three starting PGs in the league today that were all on the Kings at the same time. The Kings currently have no answer at PG heading into summer.
You have a case with Queta but Hali was doing quite well with the Kings.
haliburton. Star. Donovan Mitchell. Starter- big contributor. Shit Queda in Boston. There are others. Plenty
Oh and Isaiah Thomas back when. Etc etc
This can turn around quickly with a smart 2026 draft and no stupid trades. We need to get an impact player in the first round and a couple of serviceable players with the second round picks. How about an undrafted free agent under the radar much like Okc did with Lou Dort.
This would be a nice haul for the Kings.
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Flory Bidunga, C, Kansas
Dame Saar, SF, Duke
sign Ivey now
sign Jordan Pope, PG, SG Texas – as undrafted free agent
How about this lineup next year. Play it, see what we got, reevaluate and have a good 2027 draft and away we go.
Ivey
Clifford
Dybantsa – my favorite player in the draft
Murray
Sabonis
bench
LaVine
Monk
Raynaud
Bidunga
Dame Saar
Jordan Pope
Everything boils down to this draft and landing a top 3 pick. AJ is going first, the Kangz are going to need a lot of luck.
What’s your take on Boozer? That ground bound game is concerning, I have four or five players ahead of him.
IMO Boozer would be a really good fit between Murray and Raynaud. So would Dybansta but AJ is going #1 in the draft. We would have to land first. IMO that’s what is going to happen. But let’s wait and see. To many variables.
He’s a safe pick but I don’t see him reaching star status. These things are so difficult to determine. I have Boozer 4. After AJ, i have concerns about everyone.
Are we watching the same NBA franchise?
There’s absolutely zero chance of the above happening…
I’m just saying hypothetically this can be turned around fairly quickly with competent management.
Sorry, but a 20 year old college kid can’t fix this
I probably agree but we have other ways to add to that 20 year old college kid. I can see players being traded to adjust to the draft. Other players drafted in the second round or maybe the Kings moving up or down in the draft depending on where they end up in the draft. IMO a trade say Sabonis to garner a young player or two plus draft compensation.A lot of things could and IMO going to happen before it is said and done.
None of which will replace the most dysfunctional ownership in professional sports.
I still don’t know that there is a player on the current roster that is on the next Kings playoff team, but that is more a function of timing than the players themselves. I think that Raynaud, for example, could develop into a viable playoff starter next to a rim protector that can spread the floor a little? Man, he sure seems like a natural fit next to his fellow Frenchman Wemby. He might work next to Chet, among others.
Keegan has all the earmarks of a guy that finds his game once he gets to an NBA organization, one that takes advantage of who he is and does not ask him to be something that he is not. A plus wing defender that does not have to volume shoot to make a positive difference? Harrison Barnes took a lot of grief around here, but that sort of pro’s pro does not grow on trees, and Murray > Barnes on the defensive end. Unfortunately, Keegan will likely never peak in Sacramento, as he is just the latest to fall victim to a glaring lack of talent around him and gross misuse due that same lack of talent.
Nique is going to scramble his entire his career (whatever the length winds up being) to get to Cisco Garcia level. He may crest at a more versatile Justin Jackson. 24 years olds that cannot shoot consistently do not historically ascend too well up the NBA ranks.
LaVine is nothing but eventual cap space for a team that overpays for sloppy seconds in the free agent market. Best case is for the Kings is to use that eventual space to take on another team’s excess contract + picks.
A healthy Domas could re-establish his value to the point where you might find a team to swap some contract and throw in a non-lottery pick. Take what you can get, as this team is not going to find relevance in Domas’ current contract lifetime.
Good points, Rob.
If the Kings luck into and alpha in this draft I can squint and see how a version of this squad centered around said alpha, Sabonis, and Keegan that could lay a foundation of something. Will it be a playoff team while Sabonis is under his current contract? Doubtful.
What it’s going to take is for Vivek to stop insisting on a win now path with mercenary has- beens and instead have a plan for development centered around alpha and Keegan. Fool me once, though. It’s unlikely to happen.
Agreed.
13 years of the Ranadive error, with a to date record of 433-607. This prorates to an annual record of 34-48. The .416 “winning” percentage would be “good” for 21st in the league right now.
This is not a small sample size, I understand that hope springs eternal, but the Kings have proved time and time again (the #10 pick in a loaded ’17, the #2 pick in ’18, the Hali trade, the Fox trade) that they are incapable of cashing in assets for a viable return. I worry less about the ping pong ball drop and more about what this “organization” is going to do with any good fortune that may fall their way.
Put another way, there are many thoughts throughout this thread that are solid, yet these thoughts seem woefully out of reach for Ranadive’s Sacramento Kings, based on what has become a pretty good chunk of historical evidence.
I don’t even think this is a hot take but I’m quite confident that none of these players will be on the next Kings playoff team. Hopefully our first round pick this year will be but who knows. Given our track record, the players on the next Kings playoff team may not even be born yet.
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