While watching the Sacramento Kings win four straight games at home was great for the fans, it's not necessarily good for the team. Specifically, the rebuild. The more games the team wins, the lower the chance of getting a high lottery draft pick, which could be integral to the growth of the Kings.
A few games ago, Sacramento was on a seven-game losing skid, and people were honestly starting to wonder if they were intentionally tanking the season. So many of the losses seem to be going well, only fall apart at the most inopportune and coincidental time. It was a little suspicious.
Then basically out of the blue, the Kings won four games in a row during their recent home stand. It was, by far, the most games the Kings had won in a row this season. It also represented a full one-third of the games Sacramento had won by that point, which was sad in its own special way.
That winning streak came to an end after their third close loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2025-2026. If you're worried, the Kings have one more opportunity for the Blazers to beat them in the last game of the regular season. These wins do have a real downside, given the team's current situation.
Sacramento needs a good 2026 NBA Draft to jumpstart the rebuild
After a solid 2025 draft, the Kings have the young core they need as a foundation for the frequently talked about and desperately needed rebuild. Regardless, Sacramento will still need more young stars to work with, and that means a top spot in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The odds of getting a good lottery pick are increased by how awful a team's regular-season record is leading into the draft. While it's nice that the Kings got a few wins, doing so also harms the statistical likelihood of getting a high lottery pick and one of the top players in the draft.
At the same time, nothing is guaranteed. Dallas got the top lottery spot in 2025 despite having a solid record and chose the most likely winner of the 2026 Rookie of the Year Award, Cooper Flagg. This was all after trading a generational talent for a player who has the durability of Mr. Glass.
Fans need to see the team win to stay invested, but doing so does decrease the chances of Sacramento getting a high lottery pick. Regardless, that might not matter. Like the Mavericks, they could end up having a reasonably good season and still get the top player in the draft.