If you were to rank the NBA teams by their performance over the past 25 years, the Sacramento Kings would be among the teams at the bottom of the list. The Kings made the playoffs just seven times over the past quarter century, and just once (2022-23) since the 2006-07 season.
But no matter how the team has performed, each deserves their own quarter-century team to honor the best who played for the squad over that period. The Kings have some quality players don their jersey since 2000 and RotoWire, where NBA betting promo codes are always available, has named the best by position.
Kings Quarter Century Team Members
In creating this starting five, RotoWire did not base it on any one statistic or set of stats. Instead, we used the eye test. In some cases, the choices were easy. In others, it took some time. As we have with each of the NBA franchises, RotoWire is rolling out a traditional starting lineup. So don't expect to see a three-guard team or one with two centers, though fans and NBA betting sites customers often see that in real life.
Mike Bibby (2001 to 2007)
Mike Bibby's time in Sactown represented nearly half of his career, as he played 476 of his 1,001 NBA games for the Kings. Not surprisingly, the guard averaged nearly three points per game (17.6) better for the franchise than he did across his entire career (14.7). His best season in Sacramento came in 2005-06, when he averaged a career-best 21.1 points per game while starting all 82 contests. That season would be the Kings' last taste of the playoffs until 2022-23.
De'Aaron Fox (2017 to 2025)
In some alternate universe, this team might have featured Tyrese Haliburton, whom the Kings drafted in 2020. According to a report from The Athletic in June, Kings officials doubted a backcourt of De'Aaron Fox and Haliburton could have worked. In February 2023, the Kings traded Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers as part of a five-player deal. The primary piece Sacramento got in return was post player Domantas Sabonis. Fox averaged 21.5 points a night over his eight seasons with the Kings and is fourth all-time in franchise history in both points (11,064) and assists (3,146). He finished in the top 20 in scoring average in five of those seasons. In 2022-23, Fox won the Clutch Player of the Year Award after averaging 25 points and shooting a career-best 51%. In this universe, Sacramento dealt Fox in February to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-way deal that sent Zach Levine from the Chicago Bulls to the Kings.
Peja Stojakovic (2000 to 2006)
The 6-foot-10 Croatian forward was one of the best shooters in the game during his tenure. In the five-plus seasons of his nearly eight in Sacramento that count for our post-2000 team, Peja Stojakovic averaged 20.8 points a night. In 2003-04, he led the NBA by hitting 92.7% on free throws, ranked second with a scoring average of 24.2 and finished fourth in that season's MVP balloting. He ranks as the team's best free throw shooter ever, making 89.3% for his career, and second in 3-pointers, connecting on 1,070 as a King. He's also fourth in win shares with 59.8, the only post-2000 players in the top 10 for the franchise.
Chris Webber (2000 to 2005)
The only Hall of Famer in this lineup, Chris Webber spent six-plus seasons with the Kings. In the four-plus years that came in this quarter century, the forward made three All-Star teams and earned one All-NBA First Team selection. He averaged a double-double in each season from 2000-01 to 2002-03. The best game of his NBA career came in a Kings uniform. On Jan. 5, 2001, Webber scored 51 points and grabbed 26 rebounds (both career highs) in a 93-91 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers. Four of the five 40-point games in Webber's career came while he was playing for Sacramento.
DeMarcus Cousins (2010 to 2017)
Sacramento never made the postseason while DeMarcus Cousins played for the Kings, but Boogie certainly did what he could. In six-plus seasons with the team, the center averaged 21.1 points and 10.8 rebounds a game. He made three All-Star appearances and was twice selected to the All-NBA Second Team. Four times, he ranked in the top 10 in scoring average, and in each season, he finished 13th or better in rebounding average. He also was twice in the top 20 in steals per game and four times among the top 20 in blocks per game. On the Kings' career lists, he's seventh in points (9,894), sixth in rebounds (5,056) and fourth in blocks (558). For his 11-year career, Cousins has the 39th highest player efficiency rating ever. Those lower him include Moses Malone, John Stockton, Russell Westbrook, Dominique Wilkins, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore and Clyde Drexler.
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