Sacramento Kings’ Best Move This NBA Offseason Ignores Obvious History originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Sacramento Kings, according to early offseason rumors, are expected to be one of the busier teams in the NBA this summer. 

The Kings very clearly need to shore up their defense and add a point guard, and players like Jrue Holiday or Marcus Smart would solve both issues, although in a very competitive Western Conference, the Kings’ best course of action would be to rebuild.

Domantas Sabonis, with three years left on his contract, commands a lot of value, and DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Zach LaVine all hold some value.

The Kings have eight first-round picks between 2026 and 2031, although they don’t have one in 2025. While tanking, building through the draft, and finding direction through youth is the smart thing to do, the Kings are in a unique situation. 

Kings’ History Suggests a Rebuild Won’t Work

With the Kings, it’s easy not to have faith. They have made the postseason only once since Barack Obama’s first term, and their draft history doesn’t exactly inspire faith.

The Kings, as expected, usually have an early draft pick, but their ability to hit on those selections leaves a lot to be desired. 

Such blunders include taking Marvin Bagley before Luka Doncic, Trae Young, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, taking Davion Mitchell over Alperen Sengun or Jalen Johnson, Willie Cauley-Stein over Devin Booker and Myles Turner, and Ben McLemore over Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Maybe adding draft picks isn’t the best thing to do, although fans can hope that new general manager Scott Perry can steer the ship in the right direction.

Not so fast!

Perry last served as GM for the New York Knicks for five drafts, picking players like Kevin Knox and Obi Toppin, who is solid, but not as good as Devin Vassell or Tyrese Haliburton, which is another can of worms that showcases the Kings’ historical incompetence. 

If a team with a proven track record of success found itself in the Kings’ situation, there could be some faith in their ability to build through the draft, although Sacramento has failed at a truly remarkable rate. 

Check out the Inside the Kings homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.