A playoff spark fades to lottery ignites the search for renewed purpose. The Sacramento Kings' rapid rise and subsequent tumble reveals a franchise in flux.
The royal-purple beam of the Sacramento Kings that pierced the sky after every victory took the NBA by storm three seasons ago, but that shine has dimmed.
Sacramento broke a 16-year playoff drought in the 2022-23 season with a 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in March. The Kings finished as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record.
Mike Brown, the unanimous Coach of the Year that season, his first in Sacramento, had transformed the team's offense. They led the league in scoring, averaging 120.7 points and recorded three winning streaks of five games or more.
Sacramento faced Brown's former team, the Golden State Warriors, in the first round of the NBA playoffs. It was a true back-and-forth series with each team winning their home games until Stephen Curry dropped 50 points to end the Kings' historic season in Game 7.
Although Sacramento couldn't capitalize on its momentum, Brown said his team forged an identity that everybody in the organization and the league are aware of.
"This year was invaluable for us because it allowed us to establish who we are and how we're going to play," Brown said in his exit interview. "And everybody knows it, everybody in the organization, everybody in the city, all the players and then everybody else around the league."
De'Aaron Fox, after five losing seasons, said he felt hurt when that season ended. He didn't want to feel the pain of losing in the playoffs again, but that experience is what makes a player grow.
"You take that feeling, and you build off that feeling because you don't want to feel that again," Fox said in his exit interview. "Obviously, you're probably gonna feel it again. Like you're not gonna win a championship every year, but I just feel like that helps you grow as a player."
The Kings didn't grow after their historic season; they regressed.
Sacramento finished the 2023-24 season as the No. 9 seed with a 46-36 record, setting them up for the NBA play-in tournament. Injuries were a significant reason behind the team's regression.
Malik Monk suffered a right MCL sprain that sidelined him for 4-6 weeks at the end of the season; Kevin Huerter underwent season-ending surgery on his dislocated shoulder; and Keegan Murray dealt with lingering ankle issues.
These injuries played a major role in their elimination from the play-in by the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings continued regressing in the 2024-25 season and saw key figures depart from the franchise.
Sacramento fired Brown on Dec. 27, just months after he signed a three-year, $30 million extension. At the time, the team lost five straight games and the fans were disappointed with Brown's firing.
"We're gonna fire a coach that made us go to the playoffs in his first season after 2.5 years," one fan told a local a local reporter at the time. "The first bad stretch he's ever had, and we're firing him. The Kings are setting themselves back."
Sacramento continued its free fall when the team traded its franchise superstar, Fox, in a three-teamer to the San Antonio Spurs in return for the Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine.
The Kings finished the season with a 40-42 record and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in.
Now, with multiple injuries to their veterans, the team is reportedly tanking to earn a top pick in this summer's NBA draft. Sacramento's 19-57 record is the fourth-worst in the league.
Three years ago, the Kings looked ready to compete for the crown. These days, any hope of a royal reign seem like a distant dream.
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