The 1987-88 NBA season was the Kings' 39th season in the NBA and third in Sacramento.[1] Playing under two coaches Bill Russell, and Jerry Reynolds during the season, the Kings finished sixth in the Midwest Division with a 24–58 record. Top draft pick Kenny Smith made the All-Rookie Team. Following the season, Otis Thorpe was traded to the Houston Rockets for Rodney McCray, LaSalle Thompson was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Wayman Tisdale, and the Kings moved out of ARCO Arena I for ARCO Arena II.
See main article: article and 1987 NBA draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | PG | North Carolina | |||
| 3 | 51 | Oregon | ||||
| 4 | 74 | PF | Niagara | |||
| 5 | 97 | Michigan State | ||||
| 6 | 120 | Indiana | ||||
| 7 | 143 | Upsala College |
z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot
| 1987-88 NBA Records | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 2–4 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | |
| Boston | 4–2 | – | 3–3 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | |
| Chicago | 3–2 | 3–3 | – | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | |
| Cleveland | 1–5 | 3–2 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 6–0 | |
| Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | |
| Denver | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | |
| Detroit | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | – | 0–5 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 | |
| Houston | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 5–0 | – | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | |
| Indiana | 2–4 | 0–5 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | – | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 | |
| L.A. Lakers | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | – | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | |
| New Jersey | 0–5 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | – | 3–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–6 | |
| New York | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | – | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | |
| Philadelphia | 0–6 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | |
| Phoenix | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 0–6 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 | |
| Portland | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 6–0 | – | 4–1 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–0 | |
| Sacramento | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | – | 3–3 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | |
| San Antonio | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 3–3 | – | 3–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 | |
| Seattle | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 2–3 | – | 1–4 | 2–0 | |
| Utah | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | – | 2–0 | |
| Washington | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | |
|-style="background:#fcc;"| 12| December 1, 1987
7:30 pm PST| L.A. Lakers| L 120–125 (OT)|||| ARCO Arena
10,333| 4–8|-style="background:#fcc;"| 24| December 23, 1987
7:30 pm PST| @ L.A. Lakers| L 103–117|||| The Forum
17,505| 6–18|-style="background:#fcc;"| 39| January 28, 1988
7:30 pm PST| L.A. Lakers| L 94–115|||| ARCO Arena
10,333| 11–28|-style="background:#fcc;"| 52| February 23, 1988
7:30 pm PST| Detroit| L 105–121|||| ARCO Arena
10,333| 16–36|-style="background:#fcc;"| 62| March 14, 1988
4:30 pm PST| @ Detroit| L 97–109|||| Pontiac Silverdome
16,909| 18–44|-style="background:#cfc;"| 68| March 26, 1988
7:30 pm PST| L.A. Lakers| W 114–92|||| ARCO Arena
10,333| 20–48|-style="background:#fcc;"| 72| April 3, 1988
7:30 pm PDT| @ L.A. Lakers| L 104–108|||| The Forum
17,505| 20–52