Overview
- Darius Acuff Jr., the Kings’ No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, arrived in Sacramento and was greeted by GM Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and fans before scheduled media meetings.
- The Kings also took Alex Karaban at No. 29 and Emanuel Sharp in the second round, and all three rookies will join the team for three Golden 1 Center summer-league games before traveling to Las Vegas.
- Acuff enters the NBA as the SEC Player of the Year after averaging about 23.5 points and roughly 6.5 assists, giving Sacramento a clear offensive centerpiece to build around.
- Coverage flags a major concern that Acuff’s on-ball defense and effort will need coaching and complementary pieces to mask, and those defensive questions are a focus during summer evaluation.
- The draft represents a deliberate front-office plan to reboot the roster rather than trading up, but key decisions on high-cost veterans such as Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan remain unresolved and will shape how the newcomers fit.