{"id":173852,"date":"2026-02-11T19:33:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T19:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/173852\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T19:33:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T19:33:11","slug":"how-market-size-impacts-the-sacramento-kings-tanking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/173852\/","title":{"rendered":"How Market Size Impacts The Sacramento Kings & Tanking"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NBA\u2019s ongoing concern over tanking has once again surfaced, but for former players and analysts like Kayte Christensen, the issue can\u2019t be discussed in isolation\u2014especially when it comes to small-market teams like the Sacramento Kings.<\/p>\n

While teams such as the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards have drawn scrutiny for creative approaches to lineup management late in games, the current NBC Sports California analyst argued the league needs to take a broader view of why tanking exists in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re concerned about tanking,\u201d Christensen said in an interview this week on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross. \u201cBut at the end of the day, what the fan base wants is for their team to be good, play at a high level, and have a legitimate shot to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LOS<\/p>\n

(Photo by Luke Hales\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Christensen says the conversation often ignores the structural disadvantages faced by smaller markets, including Sacramento, that don\u2019t have the same access to elite free agents as glamour franchises.<\/p>\n

The Kings have notoriously been swept aside as a free agent destination over the years, as stars will often look to join contenders or head to more desireable locations from a geographical standpoint.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to talk about tanking, then you should probably talk about market size,\u201d Christensen said. \u201cThere are some teams in this league that never have to worry about tanking because they\u2019re such a draw for free agents. They have an advantage that the majority of the other teams do not.\u201d<\/p>\n

For teams like the Sacramento Kings\u2013owner of the NBA\u2019s worst record\u2013Christensen emphasized that the draft and player development are not just part of the process\u2014they\u2019re often the only viable path to sustained success.<\/p>\n

Kings general manager Scott Perry was open during his press conference following last week\u2019s NBA trade deadline, stating that the upcoming NBA Draft is \u201cextremely important\u201d for Sacramento.<\/p>\n

\u201cDraft capital is extremely important. This is a big draft for us coming up,\u201d Perry said last Friday. \u201cMaybe the silver lining is that we get a high enough pick to get a difference-maker when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christensen shares Perry\u2019s views, adding that teams like the Sacramento Kings have no choice but to hit in the draft because no big-name free agents are walking through the Golden 1 Center doors any time soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen your only real possibility of building a championship contender comes from the draft and development, it\u2019s a little bit different than a Boston or a Lakers,\u201d Christensen said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have the same opportunities to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SACRAMENTO,<\/p>\n

(Photo by Ezra Shaw\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

That reality complicates how tanking should be evaluated, especially when injuries and lineup decisions pile up, as they have for Sacramento this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you want to penalize teams that are trying to get better,\u201d Christensen continued, \u201cbut they don\u2019t have the same opportunities to build a contender as some of these other teams in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christensen also pointed out that the Sacramento Kings are far from alone, referencing Washington\u2019s approach when Sacramento faced them earlier in the season and noted that Utah\u2019s strategy\u2014playing starters for most of the game before pulling them late\u2014has become increasingly common across the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of teams are doing it,\u201d Christensen said. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to appease the league, but also say, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re trying to build something here, and we don\u2019t have the same advantages as everyone else.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

For Christensen, the issue isn\u2019t whether tanking exists\u2014it\u2019s whether the league is willing to acknowledge why it persists, particularly for franchises like the Kings that must operate within a far more limited margin for error.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re trying to follow the rules,\u201d Christensen said, \u201cbut you\u2019re also trying to figure out a way to legitimately give yourself a chance to build something long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be sure to check out the entire interview with Sacramento Kings broadcaster for NBC Sports\u2019 Kayte Christensen at the top of this page, or on the Sactown Sports 1140 YouTube channel.<\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to\u00a0The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross\u00a0from 6 \u2013 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on\u00a0Sactown Sports 1140.<\/a><\/p>\n

Click here for full episodes of\u00a0The Carmichael Dave Show\u00a0with Jason Ross<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?<\/p>\n

The Sacramento Kings will return from the All-Star break on Thursday, February 19th, and face the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center.<\/p>\n

Last season, Orlando swept the season series vs. Sacramento (2-0).<\/p>\n

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Orlando Magic action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 PM PT on\u00a0Game Night before a 7:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season<\/p>\n

Thursday, February 19th\u00a0vs. Orlando Magic \u2013 7:00 PM PT
\nSaturday, February 21st\u00a0@ San Antonio Spurs \u2013 5:00 PM PT
\nMonday, February 23rd\u00a0@ Memphis Grizzlies \u2013 5:00 PM PT
\nWednesday, February 25th\u00a0\u2013 @ Houston Rockets \u2013 5:00 PM PT
\nThursday, February 26th @ Dallas Mavericks \u2013 5:30 PM PT<\/p>\n

Thank you for reading\u00a0SactownSports.com<\/a>. Follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google News<\/a>, and subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n

Follow @FCartoscelli3<\/a><\/p>\n

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