The Sacramento Kings struck gold in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft with Maxime Raynaud. This was recently confirmed when Raynaud was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March 2026. He will become a pillar of the Sacramento rebuild process.
After everything that has happened in 2025-2026, it seems insane to look back at last year's draft and see that Raynaud was selected at number 42. Keep in mind that another breakout European center named Nikola Jokic was also chosen that deep, and look what's become of him.
Raynaud's bonafides are legit. He's the rookie leader in double-doubles this season, picking up his most recent one last night against the Clippers. On top of that, he's been a fixture on the Kia Rookie Ladder for months, though he only recently slipped out of the top five.
Now, he's been named the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March 2026, which is a big deal for him. It reflects how well Raynuad has been playing all season, not to mention his big performances in March. That might help get him on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Raynaud is the new face of the Kings going forward
A big reason for Raynaud's arrival as a top rookie is Domantas Sabonis. He only ended up playing 19 games this season, leaving the door open for Raynaud to take the court as the Kings' starting centre. This situation also creates a bit of a conundrum for the 2026-2027 season.
Assuming Sabonis is healthy and the Kings don't find another team to trade him to, he's going to be back in the Kings' lineup next season. That means Sacramento is going to have to make a decision between him and Raynaud as to who is the top center. It doesn't seem like a hard choice.
Raynaud has become the face of the Kings' rebuild process, not to mention the face of Sacramento's franchise. This is certainly true among Sactown fans. There's no sense that they miss Sabonis or are clamoring for his return. No one really seems to be talking about him that much at this point.
Recognition, like being named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month, matters. It proves that Raynaud has arrived and is on the verge of eclipsing Sabonis as the Kings' starting center. The Kings need to lean into this hard and make sure Raynaud is a pillar of the rebuild.