By The Sacramento Kings finished at No. 12 in the Western Conference last year, going 30-52 and extending their lengthy playoff drought.
They have now missed the postseason for 16 straight seasons, which is the longest drought in NBA history. Their last appearance came in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, which means there is not an active NBA player who has ever faced the Kings in the postseason.
However, that has not stopped one bettor from taking a huge position on Sacramento to win the 2023 NBA Finals. A Caesars Sportsbook customer in Las Vegas placed a $10,000 bet on the Kings at 750-1 and an $8,000 bet on them at 350-1, giving him or her the potential to win $10.3 million.
The team is undergoing some major changes, including first-year head coach Mike Brown. He joins the Kings after spending six seasons as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr in Golden State. Brown previously held coaching duties with the Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14) and the Lakers (2011-12).
His teams have qualified for the playoffs in six of his seven full seasons as a head coach, advancing past the first round each time. He led the Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 2007.
“Mike has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead winning teams throughout his long and successful coaching career,” Kings GM Monte McNair said. “He has worked with some of the best players in the NBA and is one of the league’s premier defensive minds. I am excited to bring his extensive experience to Sacramento.”
Sacramento continues to build its roster around point guard De’Aaron Fox and forward Domantas Sabonis. The Kings drafted Iowa star Keegan Murray with the fourth pick in the NBA draft, and he turned heads with some dominant performances in the summer league.
They also added Kevin Huerter from Atlanta in a trade, giving them a player who averaged 12.1 points and 2.7 assists per game last season. Huerter shot a career-high 45.4 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Sacramento could have a starting lineup that looks something like Fox, Sabonis, Malik Monk, Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes when the regular season begins. The Kings remain at 700-1 to win the NBA Finals at DraftKings, while they are 400-1 to win the Western Conference—they have the third-worst odds.
DraftKings has their season win total at 32.5 and has them at +450/-700 to make the playoffs. The Caesars bettor could hedge his/her ticket if the Kings make the postseason, although that appears to be an unlikely scenario.
