Bleacher Report lists Maxime Raynaud 7'1"

Bleacher Report added Sacramento Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud to its list of the NBA’s 10 realistic trade targets in an article published May 18, putting a national trade-market lens on a second-round pick still early in his first season. The piece, written by Zach Buckley, described Raynaud as a 7-foot-1 center from Stanford and argued that his path in Sacramento is complicated by the presence of Domantas Sabonis. Buckley wrote that Raynaud “probably can’t fully blossom until Sabonis is gone,” while also calling the rookie’s defensive limitations “pretty well-documented.” ### Why did Bleacher Report single out Maxime Raynaud? Bleacher Report’s May 18 ranking was built around players it considered attainable rather than blockbuster-only names, and Raynaud was included as a young frontcourt option with upside. Buckley’s writeup centered on the idea that Sacramento has two competing realities at center: Sabonis remains the established veteran, while Raynaud is a younger player who may need a larger role to develop. (bleacherreport.com) The article also paired that developmental argument with a scouting caveat. Buckley wrote that Raynaud is not viewed as a true paint eraser or a highly switchable defender, even as his size and offensive profile make him a player other teams could examine in trade talks. ### Is Raynaud actually listed at 7-foot-1? NBA and college records do not use one uniform listing for Raynaud’s height. (bleacherreport.com) The Sacramento Kings’ June 26, 2025 draft release listed Raynaud at 7-foot-0 and 237 pounds when announcing his selection with the 42nd overall pick. Stanford’s official roster page also identifies him as a center and documents the production that made him a draft pick after the 2024-25 season. Basketball-Reference, RealGM and other basketball databases currently list Raynaud at 7-foot-1. Bleacher Report used that taller listing in the trade-target ranking. ### What is the Sacramento context behind that “blossom” line? Domantas Sabonis remains the central name in the roster question Bleacher Report raised. Buckley’s argument was not that Sacramento is actively shopping Raynaud in a confirmed deal, but that Raynaud’s clearest route to a bigger role is blocked so long as Sabonis occupies the lead center spot. (nba.com) (basketball-reference.com) Sacramento’s own draft announcement shows why Raynaud is at least relevant to that discussion. The Kings used the No. 42 pick on him after a Stanford season in which he averaged 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 35 games. That production, combined with his size, has made him more than a back-end roster name one year after the draft. ### Does this amount to a specific trade report? (bleacherreport.com) Bleacher Report’s article was analysis, not a report of active negotiations. The ranking presented Raynaud as a plausible target for rival teams, but it did not cite a specific club pursuing him or describe a live Sacramento negotiation. The distinction matters because Raynaud’s inclusion says more about how he is being framed publicly than about a completed market. (nba.com) He is now appearing in national trade discussion as a young Kings big man whose role, size and timeline can be debated outside Sacramento. That framing is visible in the Bleacher Report ranking and in the Kings’ own record of how recently he entered the league. (bleacherreport.com) ### What comes next for this storyline? The next concrete markers are Sacramento’s offseason decisions and any subsequent reporting around Sabonis, Raynaud or the Kings’ frontcourt. Bleacher Report’s ranking remains published under “Ranking the NBA’s Top 10 Realistic Trade Targets,” and Sacramento’s official June 2025 draft release remains the baseline record of how the team introduced Raynaud after selecting him at No. 42. (bleacherreport.com)