When Maxime Raynaud was drafted with the 42nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, there was little expectation that he would play significant minutes for the Sacramento Kings in his rookie season.
Domantas Sabonis, suffering a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, opened a door for an earlier opportunity than expected. Drew Eubanks was thrust into the starting role, and Raynaud has functioned as the reserve.
The 7’1 Frenchman has played (non-garbage time) minutes in eight of Sacramento’s first 18 showings. The most recent came on Monday night, where he got a chance to match up against his fellow countryman, Rudy Gobert.
Cameras caught the two having what appeared to be playful conversations during the action, but all gloves were off when the ball was in play.
“We talked a little bit before and after the game,” Raynaud said after Tuesday’s practice. “During the game, it’s just competition, so you talk trash a little bit. But after the game, he had some good words, always encouraging.”
Raynaud got the chance to play against Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, and the rest of the French National Team as part of the group that helped them prepare for the Olympics.
Maybe one day he’ll be representing his country in those games, but for now, he’s needed in California’s capital. In Monday night’s overtime win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, Raynaud logged one point, one rebound, and three fouls in nearly 14 minutes of action.
“The more reps you have, the more confident you are,” Raynaud said. “I’m trying to listen to (Russell Westbrook), listen to (DeMar DeRozan), Dennis (Schroder), everybody, and try to get better every single game. Now, for sure, my confidence has been more up knowing that you’re going to play certain times, certain minutes, you can get your body and mind right. So, I’m trying to learn from it and get better.”
As Stanford’s leading scorer coming out of college, his NBA role significantly varies from what he’s accustomed to. It felt like Julius Randle’s eyes lit up every time he got Raynaud matched onto him, driving his shoulder through the young rookie.
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Kings head coach Doug Christie ended up playing Precious Achiuwa at center for most of the night, as he proved to be a better option than Raynaud that night. That’s a fine place to be. Achiuwa is five years removed from being a first-round pick in 2020. Raynaud is 22 years old playing in his first NBA season.
While it’s not always pretty, these repetitions can be crucial to a player’s development. Allowing them to log minutes, recognize their strengths and shortcomings, and review afterward in film is key to growth.
“I just continue to watch him grow, and his ability to communicate on the floor is at a high level,” Coach Christie said following Monday’s win. “Then he’s willing to go one through five, try to keep a guard in front of him, understand where his help is at, send him that way. Be physical.”
Defending guards may be a tall task for Raynaud, and certainly not a role that I would recommend, but Sacramento later adjusted to putting him in show pick-and-roll defensive coverage. Figuring out how he can make an impact defensively, which is far from his strong suit currently, and finish play offensively could help his future.
Of course, the Kings want to win as many games as possible right now, but with the roster largely expected to be on the market, it doesn’t hurt to let a young player learn from their mistakes. Even if it’s out of necessity without Sabonis, rather than by choice.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
Coming into the season, Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray claimed that he was aiming for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in his fourth season since being drafted fourth overall in the 2022 Draft.
In the three games he’s played since returning from injury, his increased comfort and aggression have been apparent.
Murray’s defensive positional versatility grew tremendously last season, but he statistically regressed from his sophomore campaign. He went from 12.2 points on 9.8 field-goal attempts per game in his rookie season to 15.2 points on 12.7 shots in year two.
Year three ended with the 6’8 forward at 12.4 points on 10.8 attempts and a career-low in FG% (44.4%) and three-point percentage (34.3%). Murray, who had a strong relationship with Mike Brown and (especially) De’Aaron Fox, was essential to Sacramento heading into 2025-26.
Read More:
Keegan Murray: “Aggression is not really an issue for me this year”
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, November 26th – vs. Phoenix Suns – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, November 28th – @ Utah Jazz – 6:30 PM PT
Sunday, November 30th – vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 6:00 PM PT
Wednesday, December 3rd – @ Miami Heat – 5:00 PM PT
Saturday, December 6th – @ Miami Heat – 5:00 PM PT
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