The rise of Maxime Raynaud has been massive for the Sacramento Kings. It's gotten to the point that he's now in the top five on the Kia Rookie Ladder, which is huge considering the caliber of rookies this season. And the scary part is that the Kings have only scratched the surface of his potential.
Sacramento chose Raynaud 42nd overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. It wasn't during a Taco Bell commercial like Nikola Jokic, but he was still a deep pick. The second round has a lot of great talent in it these days, which is why those picks are worth a lot more now than they used to be.
While all three of the Kings' rookies have done well, Raynaud was the first one of them to break out. He is a reliable scorer and rebounder, not to mention a solid presence on defense. Like Domantas Sabonis, he's on his way to becoming a certified, verified double-double machine.
Raynaud took things up a notch in his most recent performance against the Pelicans, pulling down a 21-point and 19-rebound double-double. That's what has made him a fixture on the Kia Rookie Ladder, which he's been climbing like an absolute madman recently.
Raynaud continues to deliver for the Kings
The most recent Kia Rookie Ladder is the final one before the All-Star break. While Raynaud has been on the list for weeks, this round is the first time that Maxime has made the top five. The only rookies ahead of him are Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, and Derik Queen.
That's not exactly a list of no names. These are not only the top rookies of this season, but some of the best the league has ever seen. 2025-2026 will be remembered as one of the greatest rookie classes in the history of the NBA, and Maxime Raynaud is a major part of that.
Knowing this reiterates how disappointing it is that Raynaud missed out on the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars tournament. He was left out of the draft pool for the coaches to build teams out of despite his success. Perhaps he'll get another shot at being part of All-Star Weekend down the road.
For now, Maxime Raynud will likely remain the Kings' starting center and one of the key pieces of their rebuild strategy. Taking the Rookie of the Year Award from Cooper Flagg is borderline impossible, but that doesn't change how impressive what Raynaud has achieved this season is.