As the Sacramento Kings plan for the future, their current starting lineup will not be the one to get them there. While there is talent in that group, bloated contracts and injury issues will continue to plague a good portion of this group. The Kings need their young guns to take over.
Going into 2026-2027, the Kings have a projected starting lineup that is still largely mired in the past. Darius Acuff Jr. is their point guard, Zach LaVine is their shooting guard, De'Andre Hunter is their small forward, Keegan Murray is their power forward, and Domantas Sabonis is their center.
Naturally, Acuff isn't part of this specific conversation, as he is going into this season as a 19-year-old rookie filling the role of a starting point guard. As if that's not enough, every other member of the starting lineup has 4+ years of NBA experience. Running the vets can be a little intimidating.
What separates Acuff from the rest of the starting lineup is the fact that he is a building block of the Kings' future. That also includes Maxime Raynaud, Dyland Cardwell, Nique Clifford, Emanuel Sharp, Alex Karaban, and potentially Daeqwon Plowden. Everyone else on the starting five is expendable.
Sacramento will have to move on from their vets
The three most obvious members of the Kings' projected starters to move on from are Hunter, LaVine, and Sabonis. Sacramento has been shopping LaVine and Sabonis on the trade market for a while now, and no one has bitten. That's because of their absurd salaries.
As their contracts wind down, trading them will become easier. If nothing else, the Kings will wait them out and let them walk in free agency. Hunter is in a similar situation. While his contract is less expensive, it's up at the same time as LaVine's. He will also likely be let go, as he doesn't fit the rebuild.
Murray is a different issue. The Kings have bet heavily on him, signing Murray to a five-year contract just before his injuries last season. Sacramento will have to use this season to evaluate how he plays with their developing young core and decide if he needs to be traded to make this all work.
What is apparent is that this starting five is not the one to get the Kings to the next level. That being said, they can play a part in developing the young players and giving them a chance to figure their respective games out. Moving these vets along will be the next step in the rebuild.
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