No one is happy with the current state of the Sacramento Kings. That includes owners, front office, coaches, players, and fans. It looks like a full rebuild is finally coming, and all of the Kings' most recognizable players are trade options, including Domantas Sabonis.
The ongoing problem the Kings have created for themselves has become the stuff of legend. Rather than working on building a balanced roster with a healthy mix of veterans and young talent, they loaded up on veteran shooters while leaving the young guns on the bench.
It's a problem that keeps coming up season after season. Instead of doing anything about it, the franchise stuck to that same path. Now, Sacramento is left with a team that can't win and will likely end up making some questionable trades to get out of this situation.
The Kings are stuck between a rock and a hard place
Thanks to a lot of big-money contracts, the Kings don't have the cap space to make any major moves right now. Several of those players become free agents in 2027 and 2028, but Sacramento cannot wait that long. In addition to the payroll, time is also against the Kings.
The rebuilding process has to start sooner rather than later. The front office needs time to make trades and put draft picks to good use. Rookies and young players need time to develop. A new roster needs time to find a rhythm. That's why the work needs to begin now.
Fans have been incredibly patient with the Kings for a long time. They got a brief look at success during the incredibly short Beam Team Era, which makes tolerating their team's current issues even more difficult. Sacramento needs to make an effort to fix things before their fan base turns on them.
It's going to get worse for the Kings before it gets better
To make moves now, the Kings are almost inevitably going to make some bad trades. That means giving up Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Dennis Schroder, and possibly even Keegan Murray for what seems like nothing at the time. But it will play out well in the long run.
These players represent some of the biggest contracts on the roster. The Kings will need to move some, if not all of them, to really dig into a full rebuild. And make no mistake in that's what Sacramento needs at this point. A lot of familiar faces are going to have to go to make that work.
It's going to be a rough process, one that's not going to lead championships or winnings seasons right away. If the Kings go all in and do this right, there is a real chance that Sacramento can become true contenders. It just means losing a sizable chunk of the current roster along the way.