Saying the Sacramento Kings have been disappointing to start the 2025-26 season would be an understatement, as they have been flat-out one of the worst teams in the NBA. After losing four consecutive games by an average of 26.3 points, fans were simply happy that they were able to keep things close against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Still, despite keeping up with the Timberwolves, the Kings ultimately picked up their fifth straight loss, falling to 3-10 on the season.
There was hope that the Kings would at least be able to compete for a play-in tournament spot this season, but after 13 games, they are tracking to be historically bad.
The Kings are on pace to finish with a 19-63 record, which would be the second-worst in franchise history, trailing only their 17-65 record in 2008-09.
The Sacramento Kings are 3-10.
Dates of the Kings’ 10th loss over the years:
2024-25: November 25th (8-10)
2023-24: December 20th (16-10)
2022-23: December 7th (13-10)
2021-22: November 19th (6-10)
Sacramento is on pace to finish 19-63.
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) November 15, 2025
After three consecutive seasons with 40+ wins, it would be a shock for the Kings to not even reach the 20-win mark. If they continue on this pace, it would also be a shock if Doug Christie keeps his job. Not that the Kings’ struggles are particularly his fault, but it is rare for an NBA coach to keep their job in this situation.
Defending the 3-10 record
Of course, the consensus around this Kings team is that they are simply bad. However, there are a couple of key reasons why they have had such a rough start to their season.
First, the Kings have yet to see Keegan Murray on the floor this season due to thumb surgery, and when a team is missing their best defender (and truly only defender), it is never good. Murray has always been known to be one of the most valuable players on this Kings team, so missing him to start the season has been an immeasurable loss.
Oct 8, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during player introductions before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Golden 1 Center. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Not to say that Murray will fix everything when he returns, but there will certainly be some improvements when he is in the lineup.
Second, the Kings have had one of the most challenging schedules in the NBA. According to ESPN, the Kings have played the second-toughest schedule across the league, giving them an expected record of 2-11 based on their opponents.
The reality is that the Kings will likely improve as the season goes on, based on getting Murray back and their schedule getting easier, but things have looked horrible through 13 games.
Offering a silver lining for a 19-win season
While it would be catastrophic for the Kings to win only 19 games this season, is there a silver lining? The 2026 NBA Draft is projected to be one of the best in recent memory, with highly-touted prospects like Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa topping the board.
Everyone outside of maybe Vivek Ranadivé knew this roster was flawed coming into the season. The Kings are bad and very expensive.
Every loss is one step closer toward a rebuild and looking ahead to a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class.
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) November 13, 2025
If the Kings landed one of the top picks in next year’s draft, it would give them an excuse to blow things up and officially enter a rebuild around their new franchise cornerstone.
There is minimal optimism around this Kings franchise, with many fans calling for the front office to blow things up. While that could lead to even more struggle, in this scenario, the Kings do not seem to have many other options and are only delaying the inevitable.
After the Kings won just 17 games in the 2008-09 season, they ultimately landed the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, leading to them selecting Tyreke Evans. Even landing a top-five pick in next summer’s draft would give the Kings a young stud to build around, and they would be better off leaning into that mindset rather than trying to claw back from this disastrous start.
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