Kings Face Uphill Battle Heading Into Offseason

Sacramento's roster and salary cap issues leave them with tough decisions to make this summer.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:35pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a basketball game or match, with sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in deep purple, navy blue, and gold tones, conveying the complex challenges facing the Sacramento Kings as they try to rebuild their team.The Kings' offseason challenges are reflected in a deconstructed, geometric illustration of the team's struggles to build a winning roster.Today in Sacramento

The Sacramento Kings are facing a number of challenges as they head into the offseason, including uncertainty around their draft position, a lack of trade options for their expensive veteran players, and limited financial flexibility to improve the roster through free agency.

Why it matters

The Kings are trying to build a competitive team and end their long playoff drought, but their current roster construction and salary cap situation make that a difficult task. How they navigate this offseason could have major implications for the franchise's future.

The details

The Kings' offseason kicked off with exit interviews, but more questions than answers remain. Their draft position is uncertain, as they have an 11.5% chance to move up to the top spot in the lottery but could also fall to the 9th pick. The team has several expensive veteran players like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk who were rumored to be on the trading block but remain on the roster, as their high salaries make them difficult to move. Additionally, the Kings are projected to be a second-apron team, meaning they have limited financial flexibility to improve the roster through free agency, even if they can make trades to shed salary.

  • The NBA Draft Lottery is on May 10th, 2026.
  • The 2026 NBA Draft will take place after the lottery.

The players

Domantas Sabonis

A veteran forward who has been the subject of trade rumors for the Kings.

Zach LaVine

A veteran guard who has been the subject of trade rumors for the Kings.

DeMar DeRozan

A veteran forward who has been the subject of trade rumors for the Kings.

Malik Monk

A veteran guard who has been the subject of trade rumors for the Kings.

Precious Achiuwa

A free agent forward who the Kings are interested in re-signing, but may not be able to afford.

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What they’re saying

“The Kings need a lot of things to go right if they want to get back to the playoffs sooner rather than later, and the draft is their best chance to do that. They could strike gold with any pick, but the odds of finding a star to build around are obviously higher at the top of the draft.”

— Will Zimmerle, Author

“Moving a few veterans would certainly help, but even in those trades the Kings would have to take back some kind of salary.”

— Will Zimmerle, Author

“Sacramento just doesn't have any money or flexibility to improve, even if they get creative with trades and other avenues. It's a hard spot to be in to start the offseason, and I don't envy Perry for the work he has ahead of him.”

— Will Zimmerle, Author

What’s next

The Kings will find out their draft position in the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10th, 2026, which will be a key factor in their offseason plans. They will also need to explore trade options for their veteran players and find ways to create salary cap flexibility to improve the roster through free agency.

The takeaway

The Sacramento Kings face a difficult offseason as they try to build a competitive team and end their long playoff drought. Their roster construction, salary cap issues, and lack of trade options leave them with tough decisions to make in order to improve the team and position it for future success.