When the Sacramento Kings come back from the All-Star break, they'll still be the worst team in the league with multiple injuries to contend with and one starter out for the season. At this point, it legitimately doesn't matter if they win another game. In fact, it might be better if they don't.
Now that the NBA's All-Star Weekend is in full swing, the Kings can relax a bit. The best thing for them is to take a breath, step back from the 14-game losing streak they're on, and assess the situation. Unfortunately, nothing is going to get better after the break and the season restarts.
The Kings only have 26 games left in 2025-2026, and the math indicates that they are only expected to win another six. That's being generous. It's not out of the realm of possibilty that Sacramento loses all 26 games, bringing that losing streak to a total of 40 games.
Even if a miracle happens and Sactown manages to win all 26 games, their record would be 38 wins and 44 losses. That's well below .500, still likely putting them out of contention for a Play-In spot, particularly in the highly competitive Western Conference. The season is all but over for the Kings.
It's not all bad for Sacramento
The Kings are moving forward on a rebuild headed up by general manager Scott Perry. He's been clear that this is a long-term process he expects to take three to five years. And there is a really good chance that Sacramento's situation will get worse before it gets better. Yes, that is possible.
A major part of that rebuild process will be drafting well, which the Kings definitely did in 2025. They selected Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford, then picked up the undrafted Dylan Cardwell in the offseason. It's safe to say that all three of them have played good ball so far.
That's where the draft lottery comes in. The worse a team does in the regular season, the better the probability that they get a high first-round pick. Naturally, the number one pick is the goal. Even if they don't get number one, they will still get a solid first-round pick, which could be a difference maker.
Sacramento has one first-round pick in 2026 plus a pair of second-round picks. That gives the Kings three shots to add to their growing young core with the potential of getting a huge rookie to put at the center of it all. If that plays out, a dismal 2025-2026 doesn't seem as bad.