It is very early in the 2025-26 NBA season, but there are several teams across the league that are clearly going nowhere and will not be able to even reach the play-in tournament come springtime.
The Sacramento Kings seem to be one of those squads. They do have a decent amount of talent, as they have players such as DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis, all of whom are capable scoring threats.
But they currently have a 2-4 record, and despite that talent, they’re only 21st in both points per game and offensive rating. The Kings, who have made the playoffs just once in 19 previous seasons and haven’t won a postseason series since 2004, don’t seem to have the supporting talent to get into the postseason mix this season.
Analyst Jake Weinbach urged the Kings, who he said are “without an identity,” to “blow it up.”
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Last season, when Sacramento went 40-42, it made multiple moves to reshape its roster. They traded away star guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that brought in LaVine, and two days later, they acquired veteran center Jonas Valanciunas.
But LaVine is 30 years of age and has been to the playoffs just once in 11 previous seasons, and he’s regarded by many as an empty calories player.
DeRozan, meanwhile, is 36, and while he remains a potent player, he doesn’t match the timeline of the Kings’ younger players.
The player who could net the Kings the biggest return if they do decide to start over is Sabonis, who is 29 and one of the NBA’s better centers. He led the league in rebounding during each of the previous three seasons, and so far this year, he’s averaging 13.6 rebounds, although he’s down to 14.8 points per game from 19.1 points per game last season.
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The trade deadline is Feb. 5, 2026, and one has to think that executive Scott Perry may give this group of Kings players a chance to prove they’re not chopped liver. But if they’re going nowhere by Christmas, it may make some sense to sell off at least one of their best players in order to get some trade assets and build for the future.
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