Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) waves to the crowd after being stretched off the court during the second quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center
Justine Willard-Imagn Images
The Sacramento Kings suffered a concerning setback Saturday when center Maxime Raynaud injured his right knee during their preseason matchup against the Golden State Warriors.
The second-year big man was unable to continue and had to leave the court in a wheelchair. According to ESPN's Marc J. Spears, Raynaud was ruled out for the remainder of the game after suffering the injury in the second quarter.
The incident reportedly occurred when he set a screen for rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and collided with Stephen Curry as the Warriors guard tried to get around him.
Raynaud's exit came during his strongest preseason performance so far. Before leaving, he recorded 10 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block while shooting 3-for-3 from the field, including a made three-pointer.
The injury comes as a setback for a young player who made a promising impression during his rookie campaign. Raynaud averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season, shooting 57.1% from the field and earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team.
Sacramento had been counting on the 22-year-old to play a meaningful role in its frontcourt rotation. He could have started alongside Domantas Sabonis or served as the veteran center's primary backup
The team will need further medical evaluations to determine the severity of Raynaud's injury and how long he might be sidelined. No confirmed diagnosis or recovery timeline was included in the available reports.
If Raynaud misses time, Dylan Cardwell and Precious Achiuwa could see increased opportunities at center. Cardwell was resting for Saturday's game, while the Kings also considered Jonathan Mogbo as another option in the frontcourt.