Sacramento's second-round steal is dominating, shattering expectations. Has Maxime Raynaud emerged as the NBA's premier rookie big man?
Entering the 2025-26 NBA season, a few expectations were placed upon the Sacramento Kings.
First, many predicted that the team would fail to gain any form of chemistry thanks to conflicting skill-sets. -- Check.
Secondly, few expected the Kings' No. 42 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Maxime Raynaud to rise through the ranks of the NBA's top rookies, or to peak at No. 5 on the league's Rookie of the Year leaderboard through the end of February.
The latter of the two was shattered completely, as Raynaud's impressive rookie campaign has led to a shift for the future of the franchise.
Sacramento's second-round talent remains a force to be reckoned with down low and on the boards, as he's averaged 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 55.2% shooting from the field in 53 appearances.
With most teams in the association at or around the 60-games-played mark, it's time to have a conversation that seemed impossible on opening night. -- Has Raynaud been the best rookie center in the NBA this season?
The competition is there, but it's not necessarily stiff.
Among Raynaud's top rookie frontcourt contemporaries are the New Orleans Pelicans' Derik Queen (13th overall pick), the Charlotte Hornets' fellow second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner (34th overall pick) and the Toronto Raptors' power forward Collin Murray-Boyles (9th overall pick).
New Orleans' multi-faceted center Queen is arguably the most well-rounded of this year's big man draftees, and his mix of scoring and distribution was enough to earn placement one spot above Raynaud on the R.O.Y. leaderboard at No. 4.
Queen's given the Pels a boost thanks to his natural play-making feel and touch from most areas on the floor. His defense has been a point of contention throughout his rookie season, but box score figures of 12.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 59 games serve as a just reason to look past any of those issues for the time being.
Still, Raynaud's consistency and game-wrecking rebounding could be argued as more valuable than Queen's passing at this point in their young careers.
Each of these four bigs affect games in different ways, and Kalkbrenner's superpowers are shot-blocking and creating second-chance opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Charlotte's Kalkbrenner has contributed a hyper-efficient 8.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks with a 75.9% field goal percentage in just 22.8 minutes, registering a monstrous 141 offensive rating per 100 possessions and 113 defensive rating per 100 possessions in the process.
He's also a disruptive presence on the offensive glass, averaging 2.6 boards on that end and consistently keeping possessions alive for a Hornets group aiming for a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
As for Murray-Boyles, he's played a pivotal role for an Eastern Conference squad looking to lock down a guaranteed postseason berth in the coming weeks.
Toronto owns the No. 5 seed in the East with a 35-25 record and Murray-Boyles' production on both sides of the ball continues to provide the group with a do-it-all presence.
He's a 6-foot-7, 245-pound power forward with a fantastic mix of athleticism and strength, and he's excelled defensively against opponents of all shapes and sizes. Along with his 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds, Murray-Boyles also owns a stellar 1.5 defensive box plus-minus through 48 appearances.
Unfortunately for both Kalkbrenner and Murray-Boyles, Raynaud's ever-expanding offensive skill-set and dominant rebounding should give him the edge in these kinds of conversations.
Maybe Raynaud has more of a chance to take over games due to his team's current makeup, but that doesn't change the fact that he's taken full advantage of his opportunities.
Raynaud has become an undeniable rising star despite being snubbed from the Rising Stars game, and his month of February has been a great separator from the rest of his peers.
In 11 contests this past month, he's continued to put the league on notice with averages of 13.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks, shining more often on both ends.
Winning Rookie of the Year might be out of Raynaud's grasp, but recognition as the best rookie big man is still there for the taking.
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