With the 2025-2026 NBA season closing in on the halfway mark, a rebuild of the Sacramento Kings roster becomes more and more necessary. As the front office builds the strategy, they have to remember that who they keep is as important as who they trade. It will make or break the rebuild.
The Kings are currently one of the worst teams in the entire league. As it stands right now, Sacramento is barely hanging on to 14th place in the Western Conference. If it weren't for the Pelicans somehow being even worse, the Kings would be dead last in the West.
It's a result of long-term mismanagement of the franchise going back two decades or more. Many of the problems predate the reign of current co-owner Vivek Ranadive. That being said, his tenure has not made any substantial improvements and has arguably made the Kings' situation even worse.
Current general manager Scott Perry has reputedly begun a long-term rebuild strategy, which he claims Vivek and the management team support. Kings' fans have been down this path, and will remain cautiously optimistic until real change starts happening. They've been burned before.
The Kings may throw the baby out with the bathwater
One of the real concerns in this process is which members of the team the front office chooses to keep. There are players on the roster who should remain, and removing them could actually throw the rebuild process off before it even begins. This process requires a judicious hand, not a malicious one.
It seems the Kings have already decided to hang onto Keegan Murray, Nique Clifford, and Maxime Raynaud. Given his recent performance on the main roster, fellow rookie Dylan Cardwell seems like a probable long-term fit on the team. Beyond that, everyone is available to trade at this point.
The Kings would be well advised to hang onto the wily veteran, Russell Westbrook. He's definitely got some tread left on his tires. Precious Achiuwa is also a solid defensive veteran who can play a role in the rebuild. More than that, young stars like Keon Ellis and Devin Carter should be part of that core.
Given the position the Kings are currently in with their top stars, they are already in danger of giving too much to get too little. They cannot afford to lose good players already on the roster while chasing someone else. It would be short-sighted and might run the rebuild right off the tracks.