Pre-Draft Outlook
With three starters each missing more than half the season — Zach LaVine (39 games played), Domantas Sabonis (19) and Keegan Murray (23) — the Kings posted their lowest win total in 14 years and headed to the Draft Lottery for the 19th time in 20 seasons. Despite entering tied for the fourth-best odds (11.5%) of landing the top pick, the Kings fell all the way to seventh. With the No. 7 pick and a pair of second-round selections, they’ll look for another young building block to pair with last year’s promising rookie trio of Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell.
The Way to Go
The Kings enter the offseason with plenty of questions about how to shake up their roster following last season’s struggles. One thing not in question, however, is the need for a long-term point guard — a void left by the departure of De’Aaron Fox at the 2025 trade deadline. Dennis Schröder was signed and subsequently traded, while Russell Westbrook took the reins down the stretch. But at 37 years old, Westbrook is not a permanent solution. Two prospects to watch, should they fall to No. 7, are dynamic playmakers Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr.
— Brian Martin
Under Contract
G: Devin Carter
G: Nique Clifford
G: Malik Monk
G/F: DeMar DeRozan
F/G: De’Andre Hunter
F: Keegan Murray
F/C: Domantas Sabonis
C: Dylan Cardwell
C: Maxime Raynaud
Free agents
G: Killian Hayes
G: Zach LaVine
G: Isaiah Stevens
G: Russell Westbrook
G/F: Daeqwon Plowden
F: Precious Achiuwa
F: Patrick Baldwin Jr.
F: Doug McDermott
F/C: Drew Eubanks