The Kings have made a long series of questionable decisions over the past couple of seasons. Possibly the worst was trading Jonas Valanciunas for Dario Saric.
With that one move, the Kings went from having one of the best backup centers in the league to someone who isn't even in the top 30. It was perplexing to say the least.
Thanks to that dubious call, an exceptional amount of pressure has been placed on the Kings' freshly drafted forward, Maxime Raynaud. The 22-year-old needs to get in the groove fast because the Kings are going to need him, Domantas Sabonis in particular.
Maxime Raynaud is the new big in Sacramento
After being chosen 42nd in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, Raynaud found himself a member of the Kings. That meant sitting under the learning tree of Domantas Sabonis, a top scorer and elite rebounder. It's not a bad place to be.
Maxime went on to impress fans during the NBA Summer League. He was a consistent offensive threat, both in the post and from the three point line. He wasn't grabbing rebounds the way Sabonis does, but those numbers were more than respectable.
One of Maxime's big question marks going into the Summer League was defense, specifically rim protection. It turned out the skills and instincts are there. One game versus the Cavaliers saw Raynaud put up three blocks.
Raynaud needs to get up to speed
The Summer League showed Maxime has everything it takes to succeed in the NBA. What the seven-footer needs to do is figure out the flow of the game quickly. It's not going to wait for him to catch up and the Kings need him in the zone as soon as possible.
Sabonis is obviously the number one choice at the five. Without Valanciunas, the Kings need someone to own the paint when Domantas isn't on the court. Their season depends on it.
That's going to have to be Raynaud because it definitely won't be Saric.
If Raynaud can become the player the Kings need him to be quickly, that opens up Sabonis greatly and means the team won't be so reliant on him. Plus, letting Sabonis and Raynaud lose together on the court could be devastating at the rim.