The Sacramento Kings suffered a play-in tournament loss for the second consecutive year last season, as they have failed to make the playoffs since ending their 16-year drought in 2023. While many fans would love for them to get back in the playoff picture in the 2025-26 season, things do not seem to be trending in their favor.
The Kings made some offseason additions to try to, at a minimum, improve their point guard position. The Kings added two veteran point guards in Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook, along with other notable additions in Dario Saric, Drew Eubanks, and rookies Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud.
Updated Sacramento roster
There are $3.6M (DeRozan $1M/Sabonis $2.6M) in unlikely bonuses that count toward the apron. pic.twitter.com/7qFyg4FOVM
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 15, 2025
The Kings did not make any significant changes this offseason, like many expected them to do, as they are opting to run it back with their same core of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk. The question is, will this pay off for them?
Many NBA analysts are already counting out the Kings before the 2025-26 season even tips off, and ESPN recently gave them a disrespectfully low chance of making the playoffs. According to ESPN, the Kings have just a 7.1% chance of making the playoffs, which seems far too low for a team with this much talent.
A group of Sabonis, DeRozan, LaVine, and the rest of the supporting cast is starting to become underrated across the NBA. While there are plenty of question marks around Sacramento’s roster construction and how successful that core group can truly be, there is no reason why the Kings cannot compete with any other team on any given night.
Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) talks with forward Domantas Sabonis (left) and guard Zach LaVine (8) during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
ESPN projects the Kings to win 35 games, a five-win decrease from their 2024-25 season, despite no major losses in the offseason. The Kings have not won fewer than 40 games in three consecutive seasons, and while they are far from a title contender, it is hard to believe that they will not be hanging around that spot again this year.
ESPN’s Zach Kram predicts that the Kings will at least make the play-in tournament, saying, “Sacramento has attracted plenty of doubters due to its recent roster moves, but it should still have enough consistent scoring to nab a shot at the postseason.”
Of course, there is much more negativity around the Kings than anything heading into the 2025-26 season, especially after the addition of Russell Westbrook, but this gives the team a great opportunity to prove everyone wrong.
While I do not expect the Kings to win 45+ games and be a legitimate competitor in the West, they deserve a better chance than just 7.1% to make the playoffs, as there are far too many difference-makers in Sacramento who could help them become a winning team.