After the end of the 2025-2026 season, the Sacramento Kings parted ways with several players. This was either done by letting their contracts expire or straight up waiving them. So far, only a select few have new teams, leaving the rest without a home for the upcoming 2026-2027 season.
Sacramento letting a number of players walk wasn't a surprise. They're in the middle of a rebuild, and several of them simply didn't fit the process. Making these cuts was needed to create both roster space and salary cap space to make even the most minimal of moves.
Contracts expired for Patrick Baldwin Jr., Doug McDermott, Drew Eubanks, and Russell Westbrook. Additionally, the Kings waived DeMar DeRozan, Killian Hayes, and Isaiah Stevens. On top of that, Sacramento traded Devin Carter away for picks and salary cap relief, which worked out well for them.
Trying to re-home former Kings
Out of all those players, only two have new teams so far. Carter landed with the Hawks, which is where the Kings traded him to. Atlanta is rising fast in the Eastern Conference, and Carter should fit. DeRozan is now on the Nuggets and will have a front-row seat to Denver wasting Nikola Jokic's prime.
Things are not going as well for anyone else on that list. So far, the only other player getting interest from other teams in the league is Eubanks. The Knicks are reportedly considering him after losing their depth at center post-championship. He would be a solid backup for Karl-Anthony Towns.
Beyond that, the rest of these wayward Kings seem to be having problems finding a spot for the next season. Dario Saric had this issue at the 2026 trade deadline. After the Kings traded him, he was waived right out of the league and is now playing in Europe.
Could it be a Kings curse?
Part of the problem might be the fact that these guys all played for the Kings. It's not exactly a franchise that reeks of success, and could be preventing other teams from taking a chance on them. It also doesn't help that very few of these guys got regular minutes when they were in Sacramento.
Things are so bad out there for former Kings that Westbrook retired. To be fair, he was having problems getting signed before Sacramento. He also chose retirement over the offers made by the Kings and the Wizards, an issue Sactown's front office may have dropped the ball on.
Regardless, these guys will hopefully manage to find a roster, whether that's in the NBA, G League, EuroLeague, NBL, CEBL, or CBA. It may not have worked out in Sacramento, but that doesn't mean each one of them doesn't have something to offer another franchise.
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