If you have ever watched the NBC series Community, you know how the multiverse actually works. A simple roll of the dice can spark any number of timelines, but there's always one worse than the rest. If the Sacramento Kings make one wrong choice, they could easily end up in their darkest timeline.
There's an argument to be made that the Kings have been stuck in that timeline since they let Rick Adelman walk after the 2005-2006 season. He coached them to eight straight playoff appearances, then was let go in the hopes that a new head coach could get them a title. That didn't happen.
Instead, Sacramento missed the playoffs in 19 of the next 20 seasons. The only season they made the playoffs during that time was in 2022-2023 under head coach Mike Brown. He was ultimately fired for his efforts. Brown's probably doing fine since he won an NBA title with the Knicks.
Sacramento has a lot of big mistakes they could make
Fans have watched the Kings make bad decision after bad decision on the roster, coaching staff, and front office for the last 20 years. The most unlikely way this timeline gets worse is if the franchise full-on moves. That being said, there are other, more likely ways it gets closer to the worst timeline.
Without question, the easiest path to get to the darkest timeline is screwing up Darius Acuff's development. The Kings' plan to throw the rookie in the deep end of the pool will either make him or break him. And knowing Sacramento's past with young point guards, it might not end well for Acuff.
The success of the rebuild hinges on him. Beyond Acuff's development, the Kings still don't have a mentor or backup for their rookie point guard. They are seriously considering bringing Ben Simmons in, which is a massive risk given his extensive injury issues as well as potential attitude problems.
The darkest timeline arrives in Sacramento
If they choose Simmons and that play doesn't pan out, the problems multiply. On top of that, the Kings could make the mistake of overpaying the wrong players again. That could lead to them trading core young Kings like Maxime Raynaud or Dylan Cardwell in an attempt to fix things.
These are the kind of mistakes that not only keep the Kings in the NBA's basement but also push the franchise even deeper into it. The darkest timeline for Sacramento is this team becoming even more irrelevant than they are now. That outcome is even closer than anyone thinks.
One of these issues could happen. All of them happening isn't exactly impossible when you're talking about a franchise that has a history of operating in their own worst interests. The Kings have the potential to improve over the next few years, but the darkest timeline remains one bad decision away.
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