Hoops Rumors: Kings enter offseason questions

Hoops Rumors reported on May 31 that the Sacramento Kings are entering the offseason with unresolved roster and cap questions after a 22-60 season and another front-office reset. The outlet’s offseason preview said Sacramento is weighing how to evaluate a veteran-heavy roster while working through salary constraints created by earlier moves for DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. A separate Hoops Rumors item the same day said the Kings will host another pre-draft workout group on Monday as they continue draft preparation. The NBA’s draft profile for Sacramento lists the team at picks No. 7, 34 and 45 in the June 23-24 draft. ### Why are the Kings still sorting through basic roster questions? Sacramento finished 22-60 in 2025-26, according to NBA.com’s draft profile, after injuries to Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray contributed to the franchise’s lowest win total in 14 years. NBA.com said the team headed to the lottery for the 19th time in 20 seasons and then dropped to No. 7 despite entering with 11.5% odds at the top pick. (hoopsrumors.com) Hoops Rumors traced the current roster shape to a sequence of aggressive decisions. The outlet said Sacramento acquired DeRozan in a 2024 three-team sign-and-trade, later traded De’Aaron Fox after he indicated he would not sign an extension, and took back LaVine’s maximum-salary contract in that deal. Hoops Rumors also said the Kings replaced former general manager Monte McNair after the 2024-25 season with Scott Perry, whose first offseason emphasized draft additions. (nba.com) ### What did Hoops Rumors say about the cap picture? Hoops Rumors said Sacramento enters the summer needing to balance roster evaluation with salary-cap limitations, a challenge tied in part to veteran contracts already on the books. The outlet’s preview described the Kings as a team still paying for prior win-now swings while trying to decide what remains worth building around. (hoopsrumors.com) NBA.com’s team draft page lists Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, De’Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis, Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud as under contract, while Zach LaVine, Russell Westbrook, Precious Achiuwa and several others are listed as free agents. That mix leaves Sacramento with decisions on both veteran retention and how much room it has to reshape the roster through the draft or trades. (hoopsrumors.com) ### Who is coming in for the latest workout? Hoops Rumors reported that Sacramento will host six players for a Monday pre-draft workout: Quadir Copeland of North Carolina State, Melvin Council of Kansas, Tre White of Kansas, Nick Martinelli of Northwestern, KeShawn Murphy of Auburn and Caden Powell of Baylor. The report cited Sean Cunningham of KCRA News. (nba.com) Hoops Rumors said that group is more likely to compete for Sacramento’s second-round selections or undrafted free-agent spots than for the No. 7 pick. The outlet noted that, among those six, Martinelli ranked highest on Jeremy Woo’s ESPN big board at No. 53. ### What has Scott Perry said about the draft? (hoopsrumors.com) Scott Perry said on May 8 that Sacramento views the 2026 class as deep and wants to use the draft to add young talent. “We’re in the early stages of building,” Perry told Andscape, according to Hoops Rumors’ summary of the interview. He added that the Kings need to “find somebody that improves our talent base on this roster.” (hoopsrumors.com) Perry also said the Kings were prepared for any lottery outcome before the drawing and framed the draft as part of a longer build. Hoops Rumors said Perry described Sacramento’s pitch to prospects as a chance to join a team trying to build “a sustainable winner.” ### What comes next for Sacramento? (hoopsrumors.com) The NBA has Sacramento scheduled to pick No. 7, 34 and 45 in the June 23-24 draft, and Hoops Rumors reported the Kings are continuing workouts this week as part of that process. The next concrete step is whether Perry uses those picks to add prospects, package assets in trades, or both as Sacramento moves from workouts into draft week. (hoopsrumors.com 1) (hoopsrumors.com 2)