The 2022-2023 season saw the Sacramento Kings finish with a 48-34 record and make the playoffs under Mike Brown. After posting a 46-36 record the following season and falling short of the playoffs, and starting the 2024-25 season 13-18, Brown was fired.

Since then, Brown has led the New York Knicks to a championship while things have continued to go downhill for the Kings, and one NBA analyst doesn’t think that slide is stopping any time soon.

NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor: Sacramento Kings ‘will have their worst record in franchise history’

Sacramento finished 40-42 in 2024-25, with Christie going 27-24 after replacing Brown, but saw that record freefall to 22-60 last season.

The Kings’ recent history of ineptitude includes plenty of lows, most notably the disaster of the 2008-2009 season. Still, that isn’t stopping NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor from predicting that this upcoming season will be the worst in Kings’ history.

“The Sacramento Kings will have their worst record in franchise history,” O’Connor said. “17 wins in the 08-09 season. The Kings could easily only have 16 wins this season in part because of everything in the league this year.”

O’Connor is referring to some of the changes the league will implement to reduce tanking, despite the proposal drawing criticism from some league executives forthe new rules.

“We have the relegation zone which is disincentivizing teams from being at the bottom so there’s really very few teams that care about being bad and if they don’t want to be bad they don’t want to be so bad that they’re near the bottom,” O’Connor explained.

Plus, with the new rules and the direction of teams in the league this season, many more teams will truly be vying for the playoffs, a big change from last season.

“We have a ton of teams this year that are trying to compete, make the playoffs,” O’Connor said. “A third of the league last year was not trying to compete. This year, I’d say 25, 26 teams are entering the season with realistic hopes of making the postseason in both conferences.”

“So for Sacramento, this team stunk all of last year with Sabonis, without Sabonis, didn’t matter, this year it’s not going to matter if he’s back.”

O’Connor did give credit to rookie Darius Acuff, the seventh-overall pick in this year’s draft, highlighting his bright future, but noting his room for growth and struggles on defense.

Center Domantas Sabonis, referenced by O’Connor, has dealt with significant injury problems over the past two seasons, making his availability a concern despite his three All-Star selections.

Veteran DeMar DeRozan was waived by Sacramento before signing with the Denver Nuggets as a free agent while Russell Westbrook decided to hang it up and end his decorated career, leaving the Kings short on playmaking, scoring, and perhaps most importantly, leadership.

“I think this Kings team is going to be absolutely horrific and I’m taking the under on 17 on them,” O’Connor said.

If the Kings don’t have a few younger players step up and fill some of those voids, O’Connor could be correct.