The Kings are officially the new Wizards (in helping build NBA Finals teams)
· Yahoo Sports
The Washington Wizards can rest easy. Not only did they win the No. 1 overall pick in one of the best NBA Drafts in recent memory, but they're also no longer the preeminent, glorified farm team for the Association's top squads.
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That title now belongs to the Sacramento Kings, who I think we can also safely call the NBA's obvious most miserable franchise, too.
With both the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks advancing to the 2026 NBA Finals, the Kings are about to be under the worst kind of microscope. Why? They have now contributed at least one major piece to four of the last eight teams to appear in the NBA Finals. That includes:
- Michael Malone, whom the Kings fired as their coach before he built the Nikola Jokić Nuggets into 2023 champions.
- Luka Dončić, whom the Kings passed over in the 2018 NBA Draft in favor of Marvin Bagley III. Dončić, of course, took the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, while Bagley has played on five teams since 2018 and is currently an unrestricted free agent.
- Tyrese Haliburton, whom the Kings traded before he led the Indiana Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals.
- Harrison Barnes, whom the Kings traded before he became a key veteran on the Spurs' 2026 finals team.
- De'Aaron Fox, whom the Kings traded before he became the starting point guard on the 2026 Spurs.
- Mike Brown, whom the Kings unceremoniously fired before he led the Knicks to their first finals appearance in over a quarter-century.
Woof. That is a tough rap sheet to beat. The worst part for the Kings? Their turmoil has no real end in sight. The Kings' roster clearly doesn't have any real franchise players, and they're only picking seventh in the 2026 NBA Draft. A second consecutive 60-loss campaign next season isn't out of the question. That, on top of, once again, contributing to the NBA Finals with people they traded, fired, or passed over.
If you know a Kings fan in your life, give them a hug. They definitely need one.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Kings hilariously helped build both Knicks and Spurs NBA Finals teams