Possibly the brightest light in an otherwise dismal Sacramento Kings' season was the rise of rookie Maxime Raynaud. If the Kings want him to continue on that trajectory, they need to do everything in their power to keep Domantas Sabonis out of his way or risk tripping up Raynaud's development.
Scott Perry had only been the general manager of the Kings for a couple of months when the 2025 NBA Draft rolled around. Sacramento would go on to use their first-round pick to select Nique Clifford while their second-round pick was spent on drafting Raynaud. Both were great choices.
Much to the surprise of the entire league, Raynaud broke out in a big way. Long-term injuries to Sabonis opened the door for Raynaud to become the team's starting center. That's a daunting task for a rookie, but he rose to the challenge and became one of the top rookies in the league.
Raynaud led all rookies in double-doubles last season, was a regular on the Kia Rookie Ladder, and was the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March 2026. On top of all of that, Raynaud is considered an incredibly strong candidate for the 2025-26 NBA All-Rookie Team.
Sabonis is the only one who could waylay Raynaud
The problem is what happens if Sabonis is still a King when the regular season starts in the fall. Sacramento will have to decide who is the starter and who plays off the bench. Continuing Raynaud's development has to be a priority, but paying Sabonis $45 million to sit on the bench is a tough pill.
Sacramento is unlikely to buy Sabonis out, considering he has two years and almost $95 million left on his contract. Trading him is possible as there are potential opportunities with both the Wizards and the Raptors on the horizon, but that is all just rumors and speculation at this point.
Raynaud's rapid development was directly caused by the absence of Sabonis. Returning the former All-Star to the lineup will inevitably take minutes away from Raynaud, as well as the Kings' other rookie center sensation, Dylan Cardwell. That will definitely slow down the growth of both players.
Hopefully, the Kings can find a trade option for Sabonis during the course of the offseason. Once the 2026 NBA Draft is in the league's collective rearview mirror, teams will have a better idea of where they stand and the trades they need versus the ones they're willing to make.
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