Possibly the biggest positive story coming out of the Sacramento Kings' camp this season is the rise of Maxime Raynaud. He has maintained a level of consistency in his play that is impressive, and will continue to grow as long as the Kings don't drop the ball on his development.
In the early weeks of the 2025-2026 NBA season, Raynaud wasn't getting a lot of minutes. That slowly started to change as he played off the bench more and more. When Domantas Sabonis was injured, Maxime's development kicked into high gear, and he became the starting center.
Raynaud's success has caught the attention of the entire league, particularly after his incredible December. He has become a fixture on the Kia Rookie Ladder, recently moving into the seventh spot on the list. Winning Rookie of the Year is highly improbable, but he is in the running.
In last night's win over the Rockets, Raynaud put together a solid game with 12 points, nine rebounds, and one assist. His field goal percentage was respectable, as well, at 60.0% in over 20+ minutes of play. What makes Maxime so compelling as a rookie is his generally consistent play.
Maxime Raynaud continues to show up for the Kings
Throughout December, Raynaud was a regular double-digit scorer and picked up six double-doubles. He averaged 15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game that month on an average of 30.6 minutes with a field goal percentage of 57.6%. It was an impressive month for him.
While he has maintained quite well into January, the numbers have slipped slightly. Raynaud's minutes are down to 27.5 with points and rebounds respectively hitting 9.7 and 7.7. Oddly enough, his field goal percentage has actually improved to 62.8%. There is a reason for these changes.
Raynaud left the game early on January 2nd against the Phoenix Suns due to an injury. He returned in the next game, but his numbers have been a little off since then. It's quite possible that he wasn't playing at 100% earlier in the month and was in the process of healing from the Suns game.
That being said, his numbers are picking up and getting closer to where he was in December. Even with the slight dip in early January, Maxime Raynaud is looking to finish the month strong and remain a consistent roster member. And he's only going to get better from here as his game progresses.