Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Season Preview: Darius Acuff Era, Free Agency & Fantasy Outlook

Sacramento enters 2026-27 with the league's lowest win total, waiving DeMar DeRozan, losing Russell Westbrook to retirement, and handing the keys to rookie point guard Darius Acuff

This Sacramento Kings 2026-27 season preview breaks down every major storyline entering the year: the team's 2026 NBA Draft picks, its free agency departures and acquisitions, the youth movement around Darius Acuff and the projected starting lineup, updated Vegas win total and championship odds, and Kings fantasy basketball analysis on the players who matter most heading into DFS and season-long drafts. Coming off a 22-win season and missing the playoffs for a third straight year, Sacramento waived DeMar DeRozan, watched Russell Westbrook retire rather than return, and is now leaning fully into a rebuild around its lottery pick, even as expensive veterans like Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis remain on the roster.

Kings 2026-27 Season at a Glance

Sacramento's 21.5-win total is the lowest in the league and the franchise's fewest projected wins since 2011, while the Kings' +100000 championship odds reflect a team fully in rebuilding mode after waiving DeRozan and losing Westbrook to retirement.

2026 NBA Draft: Kings' Picks and Fits

Sacramento entered the 2026 NBA Draft with its highest pick since 2018 after tying for the league's fourth-worst record. The front office added a second first-rounder by trading its natural second-round pick (No. 34) and a 2032 second-rounder to move up for a UConn national champion.

All three rookies are expected to play real rotation minutes right away, an unusually clear path for a draft class given how thin Sacramento's roster is beyond its top veterans.

Key Free Agent Departures

Sacramento's offseason was defined by subtraction as much as addition, clearing out veteran salary and locker-room presence in favor of its young core:

DeRozan's $25.7 million salary was only partially guaranteed for $10 million, which the Kings stretched across three seasons to drop below both tax aprons. Westbrook and the front office discussed a reunion to mentor Acuff before Westbrook chose to retire instead.

Key Free Agent Acquisitions and Re-Signings

Major Roster Moves and Projected Starting Lineup

Sacramento's offseason had little to do with adding difference-makers and everything to do with clearing the runway for its young core. General manager Scott Perry explored trades for Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis over the past year but was unsatisfied with the offers, so all three are expected to open the season on the roster, even though none of them fit the team's long-term timeline. Combined, Sabonis, Murray, and LaVine made just 81 total appearances in 2025-26, an average of 27 games each, and their health is the single biggest swing factor for how competitive Sacramento is early in the year.

Projected Starters

Bench Rotation

• Backcourt: Malik Monk, Ben Simmons
• Wing: Nique Clifford, Alex Karaban, Emanuel Sharp
• Frontcourt: Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Precious Achiuwa

Sacramento's roster is now down to a single open spot after signing all three of its 2026 draft picks, and with LaVine, Monk, and Sabonis all carrying real trade value if they play well, a change to this rotation before the February deadline is a distinct possibility.

Kings Biggest Fantasy Questions

Can Domantas Sabonis Stay on the Floor?

Sabonis played a career-low 19 games in 2025-26 due to a partial meniscus tear and posted the weakest offensive efficiency of his career as a starter. When healthy, he remains an elite rebounding and passing big man, but at three All-Star seasons deep, his fantasy price needs to account for real injury risk.

Does Darius Acuff Have Immediate Fantasy Value as a Rookie Point Guard?

Acuff was electric at Arkansas, averaging 23.5 points and 6.4 assists as a freshman, and he's expected to start at point guard from day one. Rookie guards on rebuilding teams historically take lumps as scorers and playmakers, but the touches and usage are guaranteed, which gives him a real floor even during an adjustment period.

Is Zach LaVine a Trade Candidate Who Loses Fantasy Value?

LaVine is on an expiring $49 million contract, and general manager Scott Perry has already explored trades involving him. If he's dealt to a team with a bigger offense built around him, his fantasy stock could actually rise; if he's dealt into a crowded backcourt, it could fall. Either way, his situation is worth monitoring all season closely.

Kings Fantasy Basketball 2026-27: Key Players to Know

Four Kings fantasy players carry meaningful weight into 2026-27 drafts, with health and a likely trade-deadline shakeup as the dominant storylines.

Domantas Sabonis Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 25.5
• Position: C/PF
• 2025-26 Stats: 15.8 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 4.1 APG (19 games)
• Fantasy Outlook: Elite when healthy, real durability risk
• What to Watch: Recovery from a partial meniscus tear

Sabonis has missed just two regular-season games over three seasons prior to last year's injury-shortened campaign, and when on the floor he remains one of the league's premier rebounding and passing big men. Sabonis and general manager Scott Perry met in late July and affirmed a mutual recommitment after Sacramento was unable to find a workable trade with Toronto, Charlotte, or Detroit, so he returns as the presumed starting center alongside Acuff. His ADP in the mid-20s reflects real belief he bounces back to form, but the health question looms over every other storyline on this roster.

Zach LaVine Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 123.5
• Position: PG/SF/SG
• 2025-26 Stats: 20.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.0 APG (2-year Kings average)
• Fantasy Outlook: Value scorer with trade-deadline volatility
• What to Watch: Health and potential in-season trade

LaVine remains a high-volume, efficient scorer when healthy, but he's played just 71 games across his two seasons in Sacramento. General manager Scott Perry confirmed LaVine entered training camp healthy, a meaningful positive given his injury history, and on an expiring contract with a front office already fielding trade calls, he could be playing for his next contract all season, which cuts both ways for a fantasy price already discounted into the 120s.

Darius Acuff Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 143.0
• Position: PG
• 2025-26 Stats: N/A (rookie, 23.5 PPG at Arkansas)
• Fantasy Outlook: Immediate-role rookie guard
• What to Watch: Efficiency and turnovers as a lead ball-handler

Acuff steps directly into the starting point guard job as the No. 7 overall pick, a rare guarantee for a rookie guard on most rosters. Teams led by first-year point guards don't typically win many games, but Acuff's guaranteed usage and touches give him a real fantasy floor, with late-season upside if Sacramento trades LaVine or Monk and clears even more of the ball-handling load for him.

De'Andre Hunter Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 98.0
• Position: SF/PF
• 2025-26 Stats: 17.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.4 APG (with Cleveland, prior season)
• Fantasy Outlook: Buy-low wing with real health questions
• What to Watch: First extended run in a Kings uniform

Hunter played just two games with Sacramento after being acquired from Cleveland before a detached retina ended his season, so 2026-27 is effectively his real debut with the team. His size and shooting profile as a true 6-foot-7 wing fit well next to Keegan Murray, and a full healthy season would make his current ADP look like a bargain.

Kings Fantasy Sleepers & Breakouts

Kings Fantasy Sleeper

Maxime Raynaud: A Rookie of the Month winner in March while filling in for an injured Sabonis, Raynaud flashed real touch and rebounding instincts at center. At an ADP of 181.0, he's a near-free source of category-league production if Sacramento's frontcourt injuries continue and he earns real rotation minutes.

Kings Fantasy Breakout Candidate

Keegan Murray: Limited to just 23 games last season around ankle and other injuries, Murray still signed a five-year, $140 million extension, a clear sign the front office views him as part of its long-term core. He returned to action healthy for the preseason opener against the Lakers, and a full, healthy season pairing him with De'Andre Hunter's size on the wing gives him real room to reclaim the form that once made him a full-time starter, at an ADP of 155.0 that undersells his upside.

Data via NBA.com, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Hoops Rumors, Spotrac, BetMGM, RotoWire, and Basketball Reference. Odds and win totals reflect lines as of late September 2026 and are subject to change.