Could a Healthy Season Make the Kings Better in 2026-27?

An injury-plagued season played a significant role in the Sacramento Kings' 22-60 record this season, but the team could benefit from a healthy 2026-27 season.

Sactown Sports' Carmichael Dave believes the Kings can have a decent season if healthy. He believes 40 wins is possible with reasonable health luck, matching its 2024-25 win total. 

Injuries sidelined some of the top players on the roster for extended periods. General manager Scott Perry highlighted how severe injuries impacted the players' availability.

"Starting with Domantas Sabonis, he was only able to play 19 games this year," Perry told reporters on April 15. "Keegan Murray was only able to play 23 games. Zach LaVine was only able to play 39 games."

Perry also mentioned De'Andre Hunter, who Sacramento traded for at the trade deadline. Hunter played one full game and a half before he suffered an eye injury that sidelined him for the season.

The Kings have a talented roster -- Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Sabonis and Murray. However, they couldn't play a stretch of games together to build chemistry, which led to the development of the young players.

Although injuries hampered the star talent, coach Doug Christie used their absence to his advantage. He started playing the young players more minutes, and they developed over time.

"But that opportunity was given to our young players, and I thought the youth movement took full advantage," Christie told reporters on April 15. "Super proud of the development, how they responded, stepping to the task and doing it in a way that I thought represented what we want to be going forward."

The young players' development lays out a solid foundation for next season, should Sacramento run back a majority of the team. Sabonis has said he anticipated playing in double big lineups with Raynaud or Cardwell, but season-ending surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee prevented that.

Sacramento's three-time All-Star said he's ahead of schedule and he's excited for next season. The Kings have reliable scorers in LaVine and DeRozan, and a playmaking hub in Sabonis.

Pair the veterans with the young players who developed, and they could win more games than last year. Health is wealth in the NBA, and Sacramento has received the short end of the stick since the team broke its 16-year playoff drought in the 2022-23 season.

They also have the No. 7 pick in this year's draft. The Kings will pair a top-end talent with a battle-tested roster and other young, developed players.

While they posted their lowest winning percentage (.268) since the 1988-89 season, a healthy 2026-27 season could turn that reality around.

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