Schedule unveiled for 2024-25 NBA season. Here are the highlights for the Sacramento Kings
The Kings will debut a new-look starting lineup with six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan when they play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves to begin the 2024-25 NBA season.
The Kings will play the Timberwolves in their season opener Oct. 24 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Kings will face an early test against a Timberwolves team that advanced to the Western Conference finals as the No. 3 seed last season after finishing one game out of first place.
The Kings are seeking a return to the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament last season. They have added DeRozan to a core group that features De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk.
The Kings will play 41 games at home and 41 on the road as part of the 82-game schedule released by the NBA on Thursday. They will play five of their first seven games on the road. They will also play six of their last nine on the road during what figures to be a closely contested playoff race.
National television
The Kings will have 12 nationally televised games:
at Los Angeles Lakers, Oct. 26 (NBA TV)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, Nov. 25 (NBA TV)
vs. Dallas Mavericks, Dec. 30 (NBA TV)
vs. Miami Heat, Jan. 6 (NBA TV)
vs. Houston Rockets, Jan. 16 (TNT)
vs. Golden State Warriors, Jan. 22 (ESPN)
at Los Angeles Clippers, March 9 (ESPN)
vs. New York Knicks, March 10 (NBA TV)
at Golden State Warriors, March 13 (TNT)
vs. Milwaukee Bucks, March 22 (NBA TV)
vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, March 25 (TNT)
vs. Denver Nuggets, April 9 (ESPN)
Schedule highlights
▪ The Kings will play four games against the Los Angeles Lakers, all in the first two months of the season. The Kings will visit Los Angeles on Oct. 26, play host to the Lakers on Dec. 19 and Dec. 21 and return to Los Angeles on Dec. 28.
▪ The Golden State Warriors will come to Sacramento on Jan. 22 and Feb. 21. The Warriors defeated the Kings in a memorable seven-game playoff series in 2023 before the Kings knocked the Warriors out of the play-in tournament last season.
▪ The Kings will play host to the NBA champion Boston Celtics on March 24 in Sacramento.
▪ DeRozan will make his return to Chicago when the Kings visit the Bulls on Jan. 12. DeRozan spent the past three seasons with the Bulls before the Kings acquired him earlier this summer in a three-team sign-and-trade deal.
▪ Harrison Barnes will make his return to Sacramento when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Kings on Dec. 1. Barnes spent six seasons in Sacramento before he was traded to the Spurs as part of the DeRozan deal.
▪ The Kings will play 16 back-to-back sets. Five are home-home, six are away-away, two are away-home and three are home-away.
▪ The Kings have two six-game road trips.
▪ The Kings will have a season-long seven-game homestand from March 17-27.
Preseason schedule
The Kings will play five preseason games:
vs. Golden State Warriors, Oct. 9
at Golden State Warriors, Oct. 11
vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Oct. 13
at Utah Jazz, Oct. 15
at Los Angeles Clippers, Oct. 17
Christmas Day
The NBA will have five games on Christmas Day:
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, 9 a.m. (ESPN)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks, 11:30 a.m. (ABC/ESPN)
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics, 2 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 5 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 12:34 PM.
