Kings Earn Optimistic Grade for NBA Championship Chances

While there is no chance for the Kings to compete for an NBA title anytime soon, could they be better than many expect?

Kings receive hopeful NBA title grade

Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz graded every NBA team's chances at a championship after the 2025 offseason, and the Kings received some unexpected optimism.

Swartz gave the Kings a "C" grade, which is labeled as teams with "playoff aspirations, but will need a blockbuster trade to reach championship contention."

With the Kings' talent, they should be a playoff team, but they have been such a disappointing organization that it is always hard to tell how good they will be.

"The Sacramento Kings' roster has talent, and this team can trade up to six future first-round picks thanks to the De'Aaron Fox deal. We're skeptical that this is actually a playoff team in 2026, but the opportunity to mold and shape the roster is there," Swartz wrote. "...If young guards like Devin Carter and Keon Ellis pop, the Kings should at least make the play-in tournament."

The Kings are slotted in the same tier as teams like the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat, which seems fair considering they should undoubtedly be competing for a play-in tournament spot.

"This team is a star trade away from being considered a true playoff contender, however, and would need a Giannis Antetokounmpo-like talent to make a Finals run," Swartz finished.

Of course, more people are expecting the Kings to be a lottery team than a playoff team, but that does not mean they will be horrible. The Kings have enough talent to make some noise in the middle of the Western Conference, but nobody should expect them to be legitimately competitive. Still, with most of the media bashing the Kings, especially after this offseason, it is a nice change for someone to share a sliver of hope.