Kings Pick Darius Acuff Seventh Overall
Long rumored to be the Kings‘goal, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff is certainly headed to Sacramento, having been chosen by the staff with the seventh general decide.
A 6’3″ level guard, Acuff began all 36 video games he performed as a freshman for Arkansas in 2025/26 and led the SEC with 23.5 factors and 6.4 assists in 35.1 minutes per contest. He additionally pulled down 3.1 rebounds per recreation and posted a superb capturing line of .484/.440/.809.
The 19-year-old’s standout season, which included a Sweet 16 look within the NCAA event, earned him a number of year-end honors, together with the SEC Player of the Year award and a consensus first-team All-American nod.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo You describe Acuff’s protection as “lackluster,” noting that he is undersized and did not give constant effort on that finish of the ground throughout his time with the Razorbacks, however his upside as a scorer, play-maker, and offensive engine is critical.
Acuff instantly turns into the principle constructing block of the Kings as they appear to discover a optimistic course after a number of disappointing seasons. His capability to play in ball screens makes him an fascinating offensive match alongside Domantas Sabonisought to the veteran massive man stick with the staff, though the duo’s defensive outlook may show difficult.
Despite questions on his measurement, Acuff is a troublesome participant who embraces physicality and a bully-ball mentality. The key to updating your ceiling might be tapping into the identical aggression and depth on the defensive facet of the ground.
While the larger contracts on the roster take up a lot of the main focus for the Kings, they’ve an fascinating assortment of younger gamers, together with Second-Team All-Rookie middle Maxime Raynaudrookie Nick Cliffordand Keegan Murraywho has struggled lately with well being and discovering a job within the Kings’ offense.
Acuff involves Sacramento with a novel connection to the group, as his father was coached by Kings common supervisor Scott Perry at Eastern Kentucky University.
