3 Biggest Questions Heading Into Kings Media Day

Sitting at the top of the list, at least for me, is what Zach LaVine's role will look like for the Kings throughout the 2026-27 season. It's no secret that the two are headed for a breakup, with an expiration date of the offseason at the latest. But between now and then, the Kings have 82 games they'll have to get through.

Sacramento reportedly made it clear to LaVine that his role isn't promised before he opted into his $49 million player option, and now we'll finally get to see what they mean by that. The hope is that LaVine will play at or near an All-Star level and become a trade asset at the deadline, but a midseason deal with that amount of money is always hard to pull off.

If the Kings are at the bottom of the standings partway through the season, it will be interesting to see whether they pull the plug on LaVine and bench him or ride out the year with him getting rotational minutes.

How Will Doug Christie Handle Rotations?

Along the same lines as LaVine, Doug Christie will have to manage not just the veteran's role on the team, but he'll have to navigate a roster with upwards or 14 players who could see rotational minutes this season.

Scott Perry may still be searching for his second big star to pair with Darius Acuff Jr, but he's quietly done a great job building depth on the roster. Emanuel Sharp and Alex Karaban are both set to make an immediate impact alongside their rookie guard.

Domantas Sabonis, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, and even Precious Achiuwa and Jonathan Mogbo could all spend minutes at the center spot. Ben Simmons brings a unique challenge with his size and point guard skills. The list goes on and on. Rotations will be a huge talking point this season for the Kings as they attempt to find out who's going to be part of their long-term future.

Can Kings Play Defense?

The question of whether or not the Kings can improve on defense isn't a new one. Even before it was the Beam Team's biggest struggle, Sacramento has struggled to put together an above-average, or even average, defense. And with the addition of Acuff, the same questions remain true heading into the year.

Acuff may be one of the best offensive prospects from the draft, but he was clearly the worst defensive prospect as well. Throw in Sabonis' lack of rim protection, LaVine's struggles on the perimeter, and Raynaud's need for defensive growth, and the Kings could face the same defensive issues they went through last year.

To be fair, they did bring in defensive-minded players to help build out their rotation, but the question is if those players will get on the court enough to make an impact. Ben Simmons should get a real look to help shore up the wings, creating a defensive trio with Keegan Murray and De'Andre Hunter. And Sharp looked like the real deal during Summer League, but will be battling for minutes.

As long as Acuff, Sabonis, and LaVine are on the team, though, defense will always be a main concern for the Kings. But that's nothing new in Sacramento.