Maxime Raynaud & Domantas Sabonis’s Rookie Season Had this Striking Similarity

Maxime Raynaud's impressive rookie season has Sacramento Kings fans dreaming of the future, but what can we expect from the 42nd pick?

BY ANTHONY LUCAS

Apr 15, 2026, 6:21 AM

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Watch: Dylan Cardwell Over Maxime Raynaud? | The Kings’ Center Rotation Dilemma | 15 mins

Maxime Raynaud is already at the center of many conversations as the 2025–26 NBA season comes to a close, especially for a Sacramento Kings fanbase searching for optimism.

With the season officially over, teams that fell short of the postseason are left to reflect on what went wrong, or in some cases, what went according to plan for those eyeing the future through a rebuild.

For fans, this is often the time to look for silver linings—reasons to believe brighter days are ahead.

In Sacramento, those conversations frequently circle back to Raynaud, the Kings’ rookie 7-footer from France, whose development could play a significant role in shaping the team’s future.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings dunks the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. 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 Don Collier/Getty Images)

(Photo by Don Collier/Getty Images)

More on Maxime Raynaud

Maxime Raynaud was selected 42nd in the 2025 draft but has since appeared on multiple publications’ re-drafts within the top 20.

In 74 games, the center from Stanford has averaged 12.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 26.5 MPG on 61.9 True Shooting Percentage.

His strong season is even more impressive when you consider he was picked in the middle of the second round, while some first-rounders were struggling to find time for themselves in the NBA.

Yang Hansen was drafted 16th overall by Portland and is a notable Center who had relatively high hype going into draft night, but his game has not translated well at the NBA level, averaging 2.2 PPG 1.5 APG 0.5 APG 7.0 MPG on 41.3% True Shooting in 43 games.

Maxime Raynaud has been very open with the media about thinking he should have been selected higher, including asserting himself as the “best big in the (2025) rookie class.” His confidence is high, and that is a great sign for any young player, especially when the numbers reflect it.

When looking at Maxime Raynaud’s rookie season, it is hard not to look at his veteran teammate, Russell Westbrook, and how he has helped him grow.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings and Maxime Raynaud #42 speak during a break during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on February 09, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

(Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

Many fans are wondering whether the rookie’s stats and performance are a product of being on a bad team, where it is easier to stand out with increased usage and an admitted game plan to maximize young players’ growth night in and night out.

But what about comparing him to other young big men on disappointing teams of the past?

That should be a useful comparison to make an educated guess about what exactly we can look forward to in Maxime’s future.

If only there were a team with a young big man and a veteran like Russell Westbrook leading at point guard. Well, what many fans forget is that Russell Westbrook and his fellow current King, Domantas Sabonis, played together for the 2016-17 Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was the season after Kevin Durant left for Golden State, Sabonis’s rookie year, and Russell Westbrook’s MVP season. The Thunder were the 6th seed, but they were dreadful without Westbrook on the floor and were bounced in the first round by the Houston Rockets.

In this disappointing season, Sabonis was taken under Russell Westbrook’s wing in a very familiar rookie-vet relationship that we can see Westbrook has applied to his relationship with Maxime Raynaud.

The Thunder had vastly different goals from this Kings team, whereas Russ had made it a priority to find Maxime for easy shots this season, Sabonis would not be his primary target under the rim in OKC, with Steven Adams having the veteran savvy of being in the right place at the right time.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 28: Domantas Sabonis #11 and Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings discuss a play during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on October 28, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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) NBA expansion draft

(Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

That season, Sabonis averaged 5.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 20.1 MPG on 46.9 True Shooting Percentage. By all means, worse statistics than what Max is showing, and that probably has more to do with OKC’s focus as a team rather than individual talent or skill between them.

In the 2016-17 season, Westbrook’s most-assisted player was Steven Adams with 189 assists throughout the Regular Season. Sabonis came in fifth with 78 assists from Russ. This season, Russell Westbrook has assisted Maxime Raynaud 102 times, which is by far the most, coming in at 48 assists more than the next player on that list (DeMar DeRozan).

We all know how well Sabonis turned out as an NBA player, consistently topping the NBA rebounds per game season leaders and having that all-star season in 2023 with the Beam Team Kings. It is hard to tell the outcome of rookies, even if they are one of the best in their class (I am looking at you, Tyreke Evans), but there is something to be said about having a good veteran presence and what that does for NBA players’ success.

The NBA is a crazy world to navigate; the lights are bright, and there are a lot of pitfalls to fall victim to. A large number of drafted players don’t even get a second contract, so having that support system is huge. Every Kings fan has an opinion on the way the team handled the season.

Still, Russell Westbrook, by all accounts, has been instrumental in the development of every rookie he has ever been able to mentor and lead. Living proof of that just so happened to be sitting on the Sacramento Kings’ bench for much of this season.

When is the next Sacramento Kings offseason date of interest?

The Sacramento Kings will now look ahead to the highly anticipated NBA Draft Lottery, which is set for Sunday, May 10th.

Sacramento hasn’t secured the top pick in the NBA Draft since 1989, when it selected center Pervis Ellison with the first overall selection.

Be sure to stay locked in to Sactown Sports 1140 all offseason for NBA Draft Lottery coverage, NBA Draft previews and analysis, NBA Summer League content, and MUCH more!

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

Tuesday, April 14th – NBA Play-In Tournament begins
Saturday, April 18th – NBA Playoffs begin
Sunday, May 10th – NBA Draft Lottery
Thursday, June 4th– NBA Finals begin
Thursday, June 25th – NBA Draft (Round 1)
Friday, June 26th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official