The Sacramento Kings are getting ready for the 2026-2027 season, with their first preseason game coming up on Monday. While their most likely starting lineup consists of veterans plus a rookie point guard, that's not the endgame. Their future starting five can be found on the same roster.
When this season begins, the Kings are likely to run a starting five consisting of Domantas Sabonis, De'Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, and Zach LaVine alongside DariusAcuff. That makes sense, as they are established players who have some experience playing together. Not much, but some.
It also takes some of the pressure off the rookies and sophomores as they continue to develop. Yes, they need minutes to improve. At the same time, they don't need the full-blown pressure of an NBA franchise on their backs quite yet. Unfortunately, that logic doesn't apply to Acuff at the moment.
That doesn't mean that the Kings are ignoring their own future. In fact, this is an important brick in the foundation of the rebuild. The next potential generation of Kings' starters is already on the roster. And if Sacramento plays their cards right, they'll be the ones to elevate the franchise
The next Kings' starting five will be ready soon
One thing Scott Perry has done well so far is draft. Sacramento is building a solid base of rookies, some of whom are now sophomores, to develop. As it stands, the Kings have some legit young players with the talent, skills, and high ceiling to be the next group of starters, particularly this group.
- Point Guard -- Darius Acuff Jr.
- Shooting Guard -- Emanuel Sharp
- Small Forward -- Alex Karaban
- Power Forward -- Maxime Raynaud
- Center -- Dylan Cardwell
Both Cardwell and Raynaud proved themselves last season. Acuff, Sharp, and Karaban will do the same in 2026-2027. As they develop their own individual set of skills, they will also grow together as a team. That is exactly what the Kings need from this group of young guns.
On top of that, the Kings also have Nique Clifford, Daeqwon Plowden, Jonathan Mogbo, and Adam Flagler to work with. Each one of them has real potential to do good work for the Kings. Mogbo is someone the front office needs to lock down in the long term.
Naturally, nothing is for certain. Some of these players may not pan out. Others might get traded to continue the rebuild. But it's hard not to feel positive about the next steps for this franchise when looking at the current roster. Just imagine what could happen when they can afford free agents.
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