After a rough 2025-2026 season, the Sacramento Kings have given fans something more positive to think about in the California Classic Summer League. The squad of rookies, sophomores, G Leaguers, and potential developmental talent went undefeated. It's a good look at a real future for the Kings.
Without question, the Kings were one of the worst teams in the league last season. They finished with a record of 22 wins and 60 losses, making them 14th in the Western Conference and 26th in the entire league. Sadly, that's actually an improvement from where they were earlier on.
There was a time that the Kings were the worst team in their conference and the league. That started changing once they finally pulled out of their 16 straight loss nosedive. After that point, the team started winning games, showing more fight than they had through most of the season.
One of the major reasons for this change was the prolific number of injuries to vets and starters. This created an increasing number of openings for rookies and other young players to get on the court. They were more energetic, better on defense, and played like they actually wanted to be there.
The California Classic picked up where the Kings left off
Fans have already seen more of the same in the California Classic, a regional kickoff event for the NBA Summer League. The Kings' team consisted of last year's rookies, this year's rookies, and a combination of current and prospective developmental talent. This crew played incredibly well.
They ended up winning three out of three games, which is pretty impressive for a franchise that could barely string two wins together last season. While players like Dylan Cardwell, Darius Acuff Jr., and Emanuel Sharp were up to expectations, who wasn't there was almost a bigger story.
The Kings picked up these victories without 2025 breakout rookie star, Maxime Raynaud. He was in France to play for the national team. Additionally, celebrated 2026 rookie acquisition Alex Karaban was on the bench due to an ankle injury sustained in a practice before the Classic started.
Raynaud is expected to return for the NBA Summer League, though there is no word on Karaban. If the Kings' young guns are this good without two of their stars, it's not hard to imagine how great the team will look with them. The 2026-2027 season should be interesting for Sactown, to say the least.
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