It's easy to look back at the Sacramento Kings' 2025-2026 season and focus on everything that went wrong. That's mainly because almost everything that could go wrong did, including a crazy number of injuries that prevented them from getting anything rolling.
That being said, there were several great moments throughout the season, sparks of hope to be found amidst the wreckage of a lost campaign. The best part is that some of these moments will be part of the rebuild process as Sacramento needs to hang onto the positive and let go of the negative.
Zach LaVine's season opening hot streak
LaVine kind of became a lightning rod for everything wrong on the Kings last season. His shooting was off, his defense was terrible, and he was out injured for a significant amount of time. That makes it easy to forget he started the season on a hot streak, shooting for 30+ points in five out of the Kings' first six games. He was averaging 29.5 points per game to kickoff 2025-2026.
Russell Westbrook's first triple-double as a King
Until Nikola Jokic breaks the record, the newly retired Westbrook remains the king of triple-doubles. He has 209 regular-season triple-doubles, the most for any player. On top of that, he is the only point guard in NBA history to have a triple-double against every active NBA franchise. Brodie got his first in Sacramento on November 14, 2025 against the Wolves, reminding everyone exactly who he is.
Four wins in a row
In a season when the Kings only managed to pick up a total of 22 wins, every one of them was a big deal. The longest win streak of the season was four in a row, which ran from January 11 to 16, 2026, and included a victory over the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, the Kings immediately followed that up with a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak. Still, the four-game win streak was nice.
Maxime Raynaud's first double-double
When the Kings drafted Raynaud in the second round in 2025, no one was sure when or if that move would payoff. It did almost immediately. With Domantas Sabonis injured, Raynaud stepped up and became the team's new starting center. He proved he belonged there on December 6. 2025, when he picked up his first career double-double. Raynaud finished the season with 18 in total.
Dylan Cardwell signs his standard NBA contract
Cardwell's story is one of the best to come out of the NBA last season. He went from undrafted to two-way player to a full NBA contract in a matter of months. The appreciation, joy, and elite rim protection he brings to the game has resonated with the fans. Cardwell signed that contract on February 5, 2026, an uplifting moment for anyone remotely involved in the Kings organization.
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