When it comes to the Sacramento Kings, one of the few rays of sunshine peeking though the clouds is their rookies. Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, in particular, have stepped up to become key presences on the court. And there's a rhythm forming between them that has to be encouraged.
A major story of the Kings' 2025-2026 has been injuries. Both Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray have missed extended portions of the season in addition to shorter-term injuries to a variety of other players. It's been tough for Sacramento to get any kind of rhythm going.
The upside to this situation is that it has created openings for the Kings' rookies to get on the court and put in serious reps. This has positively impacted the development of Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell, all of whom are shaping up to be the future of the franchise.
I just know how much Dylan is loved in Sacramento man pic.twitter.com/7ZCSDfe0EU
— Babysitter Bari (@BabysitterBari) January 15, 2026
Raynaud has become a player to watch. He has been doing so well that he's become a regular resident of the Kia Rookie Ladder. Both Clifford and Cardwell have been playing well, too, particularly Dylan who is making a name for himself as a tenacious defender.
The Kings' might have a sizable duo on the court
What's interesting is the impact that Raynaud and Cardwell could have together on the court. The league is leaning towards larger, more versatile players again, and both these guys fit the bill. Raynaud is more focused on offense while Cardwell is a staunch defender, and both rebound.
Either of them could play center or power forward, depending on what the Kings need from them as a duo. They could switch up on defense and provide formidable opposition to any bigs the other team throws at them. If you put Achiuwa in the mix, things get even crazier.
With Sabonis back on the court, the situation has gotten even more interesting. The Kings are running Achiuwa or Cardwell with him to offset Sabonis's middling defense. And Raynaud will slowly become a focal point for the veteran big man's passes. It's an intriguing situation.
Once Nique Clifford gets up to speed as a shooting guard, he could work well with Raynaud and Cardwell. If the Kings do this right, and everyone knows they tend to be their own worst enemies with player development, they could really have something good going with their 2025 rookie squad.