After being knocked out by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament, the Sacramento Kings have officially missed the postseason in 18 of their last 19 seasons (their also at 22 straight seasons without a top 10 defense).
Given that the NBA is a player-driven league, the obvious reaction is to blame the players for this. And while this is usually true, this time, the answer isn't so simple. Talent can take you a long way, but you also need a good culture to breed positive outcomes. And this recent tweet from a Kings media member suggests that the organization is more to blame for the team's disappointing last two decades.
A lot of former Kings will be participating in the 2025 NBA Playoffs
In a recent tweet, Frankie Cartoscelli of Sactown Sports pointed out all the former Kings' players who will be working while the team starts their vacation early (again). If you haven't already seen it, here it is:
Former Sacramento Kings who are heading to the NBA Playoffs:
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) April 19, 2025
Tyrese Haliburton (IND)
Marvin Bagley III (MEM)
Buddy Hield (GSW)
Davion Mitchell (MIA)
Donte DiVincezno (MIN)
Alex Len (LAL)
Alec Burks (MIA)
Neemias Queta (BOS)
Tristan Thompson (CLE)
Delon Wright (NYK)
Cory Joseph…
By my count, there are 13 former Kings who will be playing in the first round of the playoffs (Bogdan Bogdanovic is added in a reply tweet Cartoscelli below). This isn't even counting De'Aaron Fox, who quite possibly would also be in the playoffs had it not been for Victor Wembanyama's season-ending injury.
From Tyrese Haliburton to Marvin Bagley III, this list is littered with players who the Kings either pushed away or gave up on prematurely. The perfect example of this came during the second round of the play-in, where Bagley and Davion Mitchell played integral roles in helping their teams clinch a playoff spot.
I just watched Davion Mitchell eliminate the Atlanta Hawks and now I'm watching Marvin Bagley catch lobs from Ja Morant while his team blows out the team the Kings just got blown out by. Brutal.
— Kyle, a Madson (@KyleAMadson) April 19, 2025
Outside of Haliburton, none of these guys are world-beaters. In fact, most of them are not even starting caliber players in today's landscape. Still, they are clearly capable of contributing to playoff-caliber teams. And with so many different cases present around the league, it is clear that the Kings are the ones to blame here, not the players themselves.
Yes, it is easier to succeed as a role player when you are surrounded by elite players. For example, Buddy Hield gets to play a very specific role alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler III. But again, that is on the organization for not creating a strong nucleus of stars that are easy to plug role players in around.