With the way things are going for the Sacramento Kings this season, even marginally good news is cause for celebration. Maxime Raynaud narrowly avoiding an injury against the Suns to put in a solid performance against the Bucks is definitely worth a sigh of relief at the very least.
Sacramento walked into the 2025-2026 season with a grossly imbalanced roster, a brand new head coach, and one of the most insane schedules in the league. Before their first regular-season game even happened, the Kings already had their backs against the wall with low expectations from fans.
Thanks in part to the seemingly endless flow of injuries, Sacramento has managed to do worse than anyone could have possibly imagined. Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Drew Eubanks, Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Keon Ellis, and Malik Monk have all missed games this season.
Sabonis has been out with a partially torn meniscus in his left knee since November 16 and likely won't be back until at least later January. Fortunately, rookie Maxime Raynaud was able to step in as the starting center and hold down the fort. That's why his near miss was so scary.
Maxime Raynaud keeps playing for the Kings
During the course of the Kings' blowout loss to the Suns, Raynaud had to be helped off the court with a leg injury. After the game, he underwent an MRI, and it was determined he was okay. He was available to play in last night's loss to the Bucks and actually had a solid game.
Raynaud played 24+ minutes and finished with six points, eight rebounds, and one assist. He was averaging over 30 minutes per game in December, so his decreased court time in the Bucks game was likely a response to his incredibly mild injury. It's a take-no-chances situation for the Kings.
Sacramento cannot afford to lose Raynaud at this time. Sabonis will not be back soon, assuming the Kings don't trade him before he's healed up. The Kings need Raynaud firing on all cylinders to even be remotely competitive at this point. Without him, they should just get a head start to Cancun.
His presence is even more important now that Keegan Murray is injured yet again and Keon Ellis is also out of commission. Fans are still waiting to find out how bad things are for Murray and Ellis, meaning having someone like Raynaud healthy is just that much more important.