The NBA preseason has already handed the Philadelphia 76ers a season-ending injury, with backup center Ariel Hukporti suffering a torn right Achilles tendon. But the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings witnessed another heartbreaking scene. Maxime Raynaud went down clutching his knee during their matchup and eventually needed a wheelchair to leave the court.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
This raises concern about Sacramento’s young center just days before the regular season. The incident happened with 2:32 remaining in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco. Raynaud was setting a screen during a play involving Stephen Curry when contact occurred around his right leg.
The Kings’ second-year star immediately went down in pain, prompting head coach Doug Christie to call a timeout and walk onto the floor to check on him. Raynaud was caught between Curry and his Kings teammate Darius Acuff Jr. as the play unfolded. Acuff moved behind Raynaud while trying to dribble away.
Max faced the brunt of the contact, and it appeared even Stephen Curry’s knee grazed him. The Frenchman covered his face as teammates gathered around him, while trainers called for emergency medical assistance and a wheelchair.
The exact cause remains difficult to determine from the sequence. It is unclear whether the contact from Stephen Curry or Darius Acuff Jr. contributed to the injury. Another possibility remains that Maxime Raynaud’s knee buckled as he planted his foot.
Raynaud was slowly taken toward the locker room, but not before waving to the San Francisco crowd as he entered the tunnel. Sacramento officially listed the issue as a right knee injury and ruled him out for the remainder of the game, as reported by Kings reporter Sean Cunningham.
The injury was particularly cruel given how well Maxime Raynaud had been playing. He left with 10 points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting, five rebounds, one assist and a block in just nine minutes. It was shaping up to be his strongest preseason performance before the injury abruptly ended his night.
The 42nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft had already made a strong impression during his rookie season. He earned a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. The French center also added approximately 20 to 25 pounds of muscle during the offseason, hoping to strengthen his frame for the demands of the NBA.
Maxime Raynaud underwent testing during halftime at Chase Center. Early in the third quarter, Sacramento confirmed he would not return. He was later seen being carefully transferred from a wheelchair to crutches outside the visiting locker room and could not put weight on his injured leg.
The Kings’ general manager, Scott Perry and owner Vivek Ranadive visited the center. Ranadive embraced him as concern grew within the organization that Sacramento might have lost the young big man for an extended period.