Sacramento Kings
A season defined by a 16-game losing streak, playoff elimination, and the franchise's first 60-loss season since 2008–09.
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The 2025–26 season was the 81st season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 41st season in the city of Sacramento. On May 1, 2025, the Kings hired Doug Christie as their head coach. The team finished the season with a 22–60 record, the franchise's first 60-loss season since 2008–09, and placed 14th in the Western Conference.
- League
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Conference
- Western Conference
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The 2025–26 Sacramento Kings season was marked by a series of setbacks. Following a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 7, the Kings failed to improve upon their 40–42 record from the previous season and became the first team in the NBA to have a guaranteed losing record for the year. The team suffered a 16-game losing streak from January to February 2026, the longest in franchise history. Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeAndre Hunter were sidelined for the rest of the season due to injuries. With a loss to the Charlotte Hornets on March 11, the Kings were eliminated from playoff contention for the third consecutive season. The Kings finished with a 22–60 record, tying the Utah Jazz but winning the tiebreaker due to a better intra-conference record, placing 14th in the West.
In Their Own Story
The Kings entered the 2025 draft with only one second-round selection, originally belonging to the Chicago Bulls and acquired from the San Antonio Spurs in a February 2025 three-team deal that sent De'Aaron Fox to San Antonio. Their first-round pick conveyed to the Atlanta Hawks after falling outside its top-12 protection following the NBA draft lottery, and a second-round pick was traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the 2024 DeMar DeRozan three-team deal. During the first round, Sacramento traded a 2027 second-round pick (originally acquired from San Antonio) to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the draft rights to Nique Clifford, the 24th pick.
Reader's Guide
The 2025–26 season was a difficult one for the Kings. Key players Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeAndre Hunter were all sidelined for the rest of the season due to injuries. The team's 16-game losing streak from January to February 2026 was the longest in franchise history. A loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 7 ensured the Kings could not improve on their previous 40–42 record and made them the first NBA team with a guaranteed losing record for the year. Elimination from playoff contention came with a loss to the Charlotte Hornets on March 11, marking the third consecutive season without a postseason berth. The final record of 22–60 was the franchise's first 60-loss season since 2008–09, and the team placed 14th in the Western Conference after winning a tiebreaker over the Utah Jazz.
Did You Know?
- The Kings hired Doug Christie as head coach on May 1, 2025.
- The team suffered a 16-game losing streak from January to February 2026, the longest in franchise history.
- Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeAndre Hunter were all sidelined for the rest of the season due to injuries.
- The Kings were eliminated from playoff contention for the third consecutive season with a loss to the Charlotte Hornets on March 11.
- The Kings' 22–60 record was the franchise's first 60-loss season since 2008–09.