Did the Kings hurt their rebuild by chasing wins?

Did winning games down the stretch actually slow down the Sacramento Kings path towards a "winning culture"?

May 12, 2026, 11:08 AM

Watch: Did The Kings Hurt Their Rebuild By Chasing Wins? | 20 mins

Building a “winning culture” was clearly a point of emphasis for the Sacramento Kings, as echoed repeatedly by their general manager, Scott Perry, and head coach Doug Christie throughout the 2025-26 season.

Perry admitted after the year’s conclusion that this season was not accomplished, as evidenced by their 22-60 record. But winning eight of their final 18 games and splitting the final six could have been a step in the right direction, as they primarily did so on the back of their young talents.

Yet they owned the worst record in the NBA and therefore the best NBA Draft Lottery odds prior to that run. That came back to hurt them on the night of the lottery, as they came in with the fifth-best odds and ended the night owning the seventh overall pick. If they had maintained the worst record, they would not have been able to fall below fifth.

Asking players, and Christie, who was seemingly coaching for his job, to attempt to lose games isn’t as simple as it sounds. Would it have been more beneficial for their future, though?

On The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, the duo debated if the Kings’ willingness to compete in those late-season games hurt their long-term outlook.

“You play to make sure you’re on the right course to winning a title,” Dave said. “And that’s everyone’s ultimate goal. Ring culture and all that. Everyone’s ultimate goal is to win a championship. They say that too. You can’t win a championship if you don’t win games. Yes, that’s true, but you can also, as we’ve seen, be a treadmill team.”

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 30: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball while being defended by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on October 30, 2023 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Teams the Kings could model. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

(Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

They used the current success of the Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder as prime examples. Both franchises went through multiple seasons as the worst team in the league, and a handful of players on their 2025-26 roster were part of those teams, yet they seem to have created an exceptional winning culture despite that.

One could easily argue that adding high lottery picks as a result of those poor finishes was a heavy contributor to their turnarounds. So, would the Kings ultimatley be working towards a “winning culture” quicker if they hadn’t won so many games down the stretch and therefore ended up with a higher pick in what’s expected to be a loaded 2026 NBA Draft, especially in the top four with AJ Dybansta, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson?

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

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