2026 New Year's Resolutions for the Kings

DeMar DeRozan: Keep aging like fine wine. Father time is allegedly undefeated, but DeRozan sure is giving him a run for his money. DeRozan has 12 consecutive seasons scoring over 20 PPG, which will take some work to maintain (currently averaging 18.8 PPG). The 36-year-old could be a trade target if he keeps it up, which would be best for all parties. 

Malik Monk: End the Pizza Guy era strong. Monk has been available since Scott Perry took over. There has been little to no interest, and Monk is now in and out of the rotation. When Monk does play, he needs to show the offensive capabilities that make him a perennial 6th Man of the Year Candidate to get himself traded to a contender. 

Keegan Murray: Stay aggressive. This is allegedly Murray’s team. He plays like it on defense, and needs to keep that same aggression on offense. 

Dennis Schroder: Embrace the role. Schroder was acquired to be Sacramento’s starting point guard. This was a disaster, and he was quickly moved to the bench. Schroder has settled in nicely, posting 14/3/5.7 on 43/38.5/88.6 in 24.4 MPG in 7 games this month. If he keeps this up, playoff teams will be calling for his services. 

Dario Saric: Stay ready. Saric gets rare spot minutes. Making those stints as productive as possible is what will ensure he sticks around the league next season. 

Nique Clifford: Keep learning. Clifford (and Murray) represents the future of Sacramento Kings basketball. Clifford, known for his diverse skill set, has proven to be malleable and able to fit reasonably well in whatever role he has played this season. Clifford should be starting to understand what works at this level, and where he needs to develop. He has plenty of veterans to lean on, which he should take advantage of.  

Keon Ellis: Force Sacramento’s hand. Ellis is at a key point here, and needs to seize every opportunity to either (i) make Sacramento keep and extend him, (ii) trade him to a team that will do that, or (iii) create a market for himself like Nickeil Alexander-Walker did. The Mavericks game was a good start. 

Drew Eubanks: Get healthy. Essentially the same as Saric. Get healthy, be productive, set yourself up for another contract. 

Russell Westbrook: Keep being yourself. “Let Russ be Russ” has been the saying for some time. With Sacramento, a team trying to establish an identity, Russ’s effort and toughness should be embraced with open arms in hopes this sets the standard for Murray, Clifford, and the next iteration of Kings basketball. Having this renaissance season could land him a contract elsewhere next season, too. 

Doug McDermott: Keep shooting. Because few players can get as hot as fast as McDermott. 

Precious Achiuwa: Keep shooting (for different reasons than McDermott). Achiuwa has played small-ball 5 for most of his career. He was a free agent to open the 2025-26 season until Sacramento had no size left. Now that Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are getting the center minutes, Achiuwa is playing the 4. He will need to improve both his accuracy (career 30%) and willingness to shoot (career 1.2 3PA/G) to stick in that role - this season and potentially beyond. 

Maxime Raynaud: Hit the weight room. Raynaud has been great in the center role, emerging as an All Rookie candidate. As he enters the offseason, adding strength should be a priority so he can stand his ground against the Jokic and Senguns of the league. 

Dylan Cardwell: Be inevitable. Make it impossible for the team to not convert you to a standard contract. This includes keeping the energy after every play. Working on free throws is an honorable mention, too. 

Isaiah Stevens and Daequon Plowden: Make the most of any opportunity they receive with the NBA affiliate. 

Doug Christie: Keep learning (and teaching), lean on your staff. Christie was handed one of the more difficult jobs in recent memory when Sacramento lifted his interim tag over the summer. This would be hard for a seasoned coach, let alone a first-time HC. Inconsistency with rotations has been the norm this season. Logjam or not, there are ways to stagger and work around time-outs and dead balls to navigate this. The team seems to still play hard for Christie, which is telling. Hopefully, the first-time head coach leans on his experienced assistants as he makes his way as the head coach tasked with teaching young players how to compete (and, eventually, win). 

Scott Perry: Have a plan, and stick to it. This is clearly a difficult job, and Perry inherited a tough position. Ideally, he has a vision on how to remake this roster, and is allowed to execute. His 2025 draft looks like a success, but the 2026 draft will be a defining moment. Sacramento will (very likely) be picking top-6 in a great draft class. Ideally, Perry finds similar success, netting Sacramento a foundational talent to build around. It is undeniably hard to execute a vision in Sacramento, and Perry needs to remain firm. 

• Ranking The Kings' Young Talent For Breakout Potential
• Two Kings Stars Linked to Potential Bucks Trade
• Kings HC Reveals Difficulty of Facing Lakers' LeBron James & Luka Doncic
• Three Takeaways From Kings' Blowout Loss to Lakers