NBA schedule: Kings start season on the road; get playoff rematch in home opener on ESPN

The Kings will start the 2023-24 NBA season on the road, but schedule makers have given them a marquee matchup in their home opener at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

The Kings will reportedly begin their season on the road against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 25 before coming home to face the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 27 in a game that will be featured on ESPN.

The game against the Warriors will be highly anticipated as a rematch of an epic first-round playoff series in April. The Kings, making their first playoff appearance since 2006, fell in seven games to the defending champion Warriors, who were seeking their fifth NBA title in nine years.

The Jazz could be much improved after going 37-45 to finish 12th in the Western Conference last season. Lauri Markkanen was named an All-Star while averaging 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds. Utah has added John Collins to a group that also includes Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Malik Beasley, Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler.

The Warriors also brought in a big addition, trading for veteran point guard Chris Paul. The 12-time All-Star joins a star-studded cast that features Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green.

The Warriors went 44-38 with an 11-30 road record to finish sixth in the West last season. They have an aging cast of NBA stars, but with reasonably good health Golden State will be considered a contender as Paul seeks his first championship in his 19th NBA season.

The Kings won 48 games to finish third in the West last season, their best record since 2004-05 and their highest finish since 2002-03. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis were both named NBA All-Stars and All-NBA Third Team selections.

The Kings also welcome back Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell, Trey Lyles and Alex Len. They’ve added EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov and Chris Duarte to a team that led the league in scoring (120.7 ppg) while recording the highest offensive rating (119.4) in NBA history.