Unsurprisingly, many of the 2025 NBA Draft class’s most notable early returns have come from the top of the draft.<\/p>\n
Players like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and others have starred as rookies, placing their names among the NBA’s up-and-coming stars. Even aside from the first few picks of last summer’s draft, though, the 2025 class has performed well.<\/p>\n
Cedric Coward was selected later in the lottery, and has become a solid rotation piece for Memphis early in his career. Even Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the final pick in the first round, has shown flashes this season for the Clippers.<\/p>\n
Despite the aforementioned first-round picks’ performance, Sacramento’s Maxime Raynaud has been one of the most productive members of the 2025 class after being selected in the second round. Raynaud was picked No. 42 overall after a four-year career at Stanford, and has already become a major part of the Kings’ lineup.<\/p>\n
Listed at 7-foot-1 and 250 pounds, the French 22-year-old is averaging 10.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 56.3% from the field and 23.9% from 3-point range on low volume across 57 appearances and 39 starts.<\/p>\n
Most recently, Raynaud helped Sacramento to a 126-110 victory against the Chicago Bulls with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks a steal and just one turnover while shooting 10-of-20 from the field, 0-of-1 from beyond the arc and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.<\/p>\n
The win moved Sacramento to 15-50 on the season while Raynaud notched his 14th double-double of the campaign and third in the past four games. Rookie Nique Clifford, the No. 24 overall selection in 2025, finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block against the Bulls.<\/p>\n
With one of the NBA’s worst records, the Kings will have a chance to land a premier pick in the 2026 draft. If Sacramento gets lottery luck, the team could finally bolster its roster with an elite young talent, which the group hasn’t done since 2022, when the Kings selected Keegan Murray at No. 4 overall.<\/p>\n
Now, the team has the potential to pair another promising prospect with Murray and the rest of Sacramento’s young core. Following Raynaud’s performance this season, it seems likely that the rookie big man has secured a spot in that group.<\/p>\n
In what should be a loaded 2026 draft class, the Kings could land a pick could add a franchise-changing prospect to compliment solid young pieces already on the roster.<\/p>\n
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