Taking a look at the player profile for Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud.
The Sacramento Kings head into the 2026 season with a few different questions, but there is plenty of young talent on this roster that could answer some of those concerns, including second-year center Maxime Raynaud.
With that said, let's take a look at Raynaud's collegiate career, his rookie season with the Kings, and what he could do for Sacramento this season.
Starting with Raynaud's college career, he played at Stanford for a total of four seasons, where he was a solid presence at the center position.
In Raynaud's career at Stanford, he averaged 12.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game. In addition to the production Raynaud had, he was also quite efficient as he shot 51.5 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from three, and 73.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Overall, Raynaud had a solid career at Stanford, and as a result he took his talent to the 2025 NBA Draft where he was selected in the second round with the No. 42 overall pick by the Kings.
During Raynaud's rookie year with the Kings, he was solid and actually had to step in and start 56 of the 74 games he played because veteran center Domantas Sabonis was injured throughout the year and only played in 19 games.
While Raynaud was a rookie, he did perform quite well as he averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.5 steals per game. Looking at Raynaud's performance during is rookie season he was solid on both ends of the floor which was a great sign for the Kings.
Focusing on the offensive end, Raynaud was able to carry over his efficiency from college to the NBA as he shot 57.1 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from three, and 78.6 percent from the free-throw line.
When taking a look at Raynaud in his rookie season with the Kings, it is clear that he took advantage of his opportunity and could be even better in his sophomore season.
Standing at 7-1 and 250 pounds, Raynaud has a great frame that enables him to finish over the top of defenders, rebound at a solid level, and alter shots at the rim which are all great skill sets for a center and could be the key for Raynaud making a key impact for the Kings in 2026.
Entering the 2026 season, Sabonis is healthy, so he will be the starter, and additionally, Raynaud will be competing with fellow center Dylan Cardwell for the backup center job, which should be one of the more intriguing position battles in training camp.
After the way Raynaud played in his rookie season, he may have the edge over Cardwell for backup center, but Raynaud still has to prove it, so it will be interesting to see how the battle goes and if Raynaud can become the backup center or if Cardwell makes a strong push.
So, as Raynaud heads into his second year in the NBA and with the Kings, it will be interesting to see if he can win the backup center battle and take a step forward to possibly become one of the more consistent young players on this Sacramento roster.
