Kings Have Decision to Make on Jonas Valanciunas After NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Sacramento Kings entered the 2025 NBA Draft with an unclear mission. After finishing as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, they got a shot in the NBA Play-In Tournament, but fell to the Dallas Mavericks. Many fans were shocked to see the Kings trade their face of the franchise, De’Aaron Fox, to the San Antonio Spurs.
In return, the Kings acquired Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks, and three second-round picks. LaVine was reunited with his former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan. Those who have seen the duo play together are likely aware of the limitations and ceiling a team led by those players has.
Kings have decision to make on Jonas Valanciunas after NBA Draft
Another move that the Kings made during the regular season was to send the newly acquired Cissoko and two second-round picks to the Washington Wizards to Jonas Valanciunas. While Valanciunas proved to have value in the low post and on the boards, the Kings selected a player who might be able to do the same thing at a cheaper rate.
With the No. 42 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Kings selected Maxime Raynaud from Stanford. While he was admittedly a late bloomer, he was initially projected as a first-round pick, so a drop to No. 42 was surprising. It remains unclear if Raynaud has the chance to make the final roster, but he’ll likely have plenty of opportunities in the NBA Summer League.
Kings drafting Maxime Raynaud, center out of Stanford, with the 42nd pick.
Measures just under 7ft2, 237 lbs
Another senior. 22 years old. From France.
Averaged 20 points, 10.6 rebs, 1.4 blocks this season at Stanford.
Shot 34% from three on 5.5 attempts per game.
A RIM… pic.twitter.com/zegxKBRh27
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) June 27, 2025
If the Kings did indeed hit on Raynaud, it’s not out of the question to put him on the floor with Domantas Sabonis at the same time and see what it looks like.
If these picks prove to be a home run, the Kings could be flirting with a spot in the NBA Playoffs. If not, a spot in the play-in could be all they’re shooting for.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.