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Apr 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) knocks the ball away from Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Three Kings Players Most Likely to Earn 2025-26 NBA Awards

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 2:40 PM ET

With rumors around the Sacramento Kings quieting down, let's once again turn our eyes to next season, assuming the roster is predominantly set going into the year. The Kings aren't expected to be great as a team, but that doesn't mean they don't have talent that can shine during the 2025-26 season.

Individually, Sacramento has a ton of talent. Between Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, they have three former All-Stars who could reclaim their status as All-Stars, but for that, the Kings would likely have to surprise everyone by the mid-season break.

And the same can be said for the postseason awards. Those are usually saved for players on contending teams, but let's rank the Kings' players' chances of getting a postseason accolade this year.

1. Domantas Sabonis - All-NBA Selection

After trading De'Aaron Fox last season, Sabonis comes into next year as the Kings clear best player. DeRozan and LaVine are both up there with him, but Sabonis does a little bit of everything on the court, while the two guards are more focused on scoring.

That gives the nod to Sabonis for the best odds of getting named to an All-NBA team next season. He made the All-NBA third team in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but was left off the team last season while the Kings floundered.

Sabonis regularly puts up stat lines that only Wilt Chamberlain and Nikola Jokić have accomplished. Part of that makes it difficult for Sabonis, as he lives in the shadow of Jokić with the two playing at the same time, but it shouldn't diminish Sabonis' recognition (something that seems to happen every year).

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Sabonis also has great odds of getting to the 65-game minimum. He's one of the most durable players in the game, which is half the battle now when it comes to postseason awards. The Kings will likely need to be at least semi-competitive for it to happen, but Sabonis seems to have the best odds of the current roster to get recognized by the league.

2. Keon Ellis - All-Defensive Team

Kings fans have known Keon Ellis has all defensive potential for years, but the rest of the league seems to be catching on this offseason.

On top of his great on-ball defense, Ellis is elite at getting in passing lanes and getting deflections in a team-defense setting. That's a unique combo that could lead to him getting All-Defensive honors.

The main question will be if he gets enough playing time to get the counting stats and recognition that will be needed for the accolade. With the roster as currently constructed, Ellis will have to share time with LaVine, Malik Monk, Dennis Schröder, and Devin Carter, and will likely be coming off the bench.

All ten of the All-Defensive players from last year were predominantly starters, with Amen Thompson being the only player to come off the bench at all. He started 42 of his 49 games, and came off the bench for his other 27 contests.

That leaves a very small window for Ellis to break into the group. He'll likely need to start at least 40 games to get the necessary time, which could be hard to come by with the glut of guards on the roster. But if he can get the playing time, Ellis could continue to prove he's one of the best defenders in the league.

3. Malik Monk - Sixth Man of the Year

All indications are that Monk will be back in his sixth man role off the bench if he's back with the Kings for a fourth season in Sacramento.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Monk was robbed of his award in the 2023-24 season due to his late-season injury and surge of Naz Reid (even though many of Reid's games were as a starter at the end of the year). But Monk is still seen as one of the best players coming off the bench coming into next year.

That serves the purpose of him already being in the conversation for the award before the season even starts, which is a great head start for the accolade. Much like Sabonis, it could all depend on how the Kings do as a team.

If they surprise everyone and do well, that likely means that Monk will be a big part of the success. That's easier said than done, though, for the Kings. If there weren't questions around Monk's future with the team, or if the Kings were expected to do better as a whole, Monk would be the top spot on this list by far, but with all the what-ifs, he falls to number three.

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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