Diving deeper into who Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell is and what his role could be in 2026.
During the 2025 season, the Sacramento Kings dealt with a lot of injuries, which required several players to step up, including center Dylan Cardwell.
With that said, let's take a deeper look at who Cardwell and what he could bring to the Kings for the 2026 season.
First, looking at Cardwell's college career, he played for the Auburn Tigers for five seasons as a reliable presence on the interior, as he played in 166 career games while starting in 40 of those games.
In terms of Cardwell's production at Auburn, he was decent, as he averaged 4.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, one assist, 1.3 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game. When it came to Cardwell's efficiency, he was solid from the field, as he shot 70.9 percent, but when it came to free throws, he struggled, as he shot 45 percent, and for threes, Cardwell only shot a few, but was a 40 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
When looking at Cardwell's stats at Auburn, he had decent production and provided consistency on the interior as someone the Tigers could rely on.
After Cardwell's five seasons at Auburn, he decided to take his talents to the NBA, but unfortunately, he went undrafted. So, Cardwell had to prove himself, and the Kings gave him an opportunity to do that as they signed him to a two-way contract.
The good news for Cardwell is that he did take advantage of that opportunity, as he has now earned a spot on the Kings roster and will be competing in one of the bigger training camp battles for Sacramento as he aims to become the backup center.
When it comes to Cardwell's NBA career, he has been effective as he has averaged 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game. As a center, Cardwell has been a great presence on the interior for the Kings with his ability to block and alter shots, rebound, and finish at the rim.
For Cardwell's efficiency, he has been good from the field as he has shot 58.7 percent but, he has struggled from the free-throw line as he has shot 51 percent and when it comes to threes, he has had very minimal attempts and has shot 50 percent from beyond the arc.
On both ends of the floor, Cardwell has the ability to make an impact, but with his 6-10 and 255-pound frame, his defensive impact is his strength because he can use his size as well as his athleticism to rebound well, alter shots and force opposing teams to rely on perimeter scoring rather than easy shots in the paint.
So, heading into the 2026 season, if Cardwell can lean on his size and athleticism on defense, continue to be a solid rebounder on both ends, and improve his free-throw shooting, he may have an opportunity to win the backup center job and possibly take a step forward in his second year in the NBA.
