Charles Barkley didn’t need much time on the driving range Thursday to put a blunt label on the Sacramento Kings’ situation.
Asked at the American Century Championship celebrity pro-am tournament near Lake Tahoe what it will take for the Kings to get where they want to go, Barkley reached for the kind of answer only Barkley can deliver.
“A miracle, the hand of God, the Pope coming to town before the Kings going to be any good. Yeah, we got to get Pope Leo in town,” Barkley said.
“The Kings are in bad shape right now, and it sucks because they have one of the best fan bases in the world. I love Sacramento fans, but they need a miracle.”
Barkley, now an ESPN analyst, kept going when the topic turned to rookie Darius Acuff Jr., who has already started to draw attention from Kings fans after two strong games at the California Classic before moving on to Las Vegas this week for NBA Summer League. Sacramento selected Acuff with the No. 7 overall pick in last month’s NBA draft, with hopes that he can grow into a key piece at point guard.
“He’s a good young player,” Barkley said of Acuff. “But yeah, the Kings, man, they’re not close.
They’re not close. I mean, I want to see the Kings do well because, like I said, they got a tremendous fan base.
But you need to, God need to come in, the Pope, Jesus, Moses. Yeah, y’all need a lot of help for the Sacramento Kings to be in the good.”
Barkley is one of 90 celebrities in the field at the ACC, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada. The event will be shown on NBC, NBC Sports Network and Peacock, and about 80,000 fans are expected over the weekend.
He’s also not considered one of the favorites. Caesar’s Sports Book lists former tennis star Mardy Fish (+285), last year’s winner and former hockey star Joe Pavelski (+290), former pitcher John Smoltz (+450) and Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry (+450) at the top of the odds. Barkley, though, has improved plenty as a golfer over the years.
In Other News...
Scott Perry Just Sent A Clear Message About The Kings Direction
Scott Perry made it sound like Sacramentos offseason is less about patching holes and more about changing the feel of the roster. The Kings GM said the plan is to build around toughness, athleticism and defense, with culture and identity carrying more weight than simply chasing positional needs. Its a notable shift for a team that has already started reshaping the group with rookie additions and the return of Precious Achiuwa, while also leaning into conditioning and the kind of work habits Perry wants to define the next few seasons.
The bigger question now is how that philosophy translates to the rest of the roster, because Sacramento still has to sort out what the team actually needs most. Perry has left the door open on whether the next move should be a backup point guard, another wing or more frontcourt depth, and that uncertainty sits alongside the usual offseason noise around some of the Kings biggest names. For now, the message is clear enough: the front office wants a harder, more defensive team, even if the final shape of it is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Get A Big Hint Before Vegas Debut Tonight
The Kings open Las Vegas Summer League against the Clippers with a little more clarity around their roster plans, and Alex Karaban is set to make his debut after getting past an ankle issue that kept him out earlier in camp. For a team using Summer League to sort through combinations and build out its rotation, getting a first look at Karaban matters, especially with Sacramento still trying to see how its newer pieces fit together.
Maxime Raynaud, meanwhile, will sit out while he continues recovering from the travel grind after playing with the French national team. Sacramento would like to keep layering in its players and find a better rhythm as the week goes on, and there is at least a chance the Kings can get a fuller look at Karaban and Raynaud together later in Summer League. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Sent A Telling Message About Russell Westbrook's Return
Scott Perrys latest comments offered a pretty clear look at where Sacramento stands in the market for Russell Westbrook. The Kings general manager said he still has admiration for the veteran guard, but the teams financial picture remains tight after a summer of roster trimming and reshuffling, including the decision to waive DeMar DeRozan and bring back Precious Achiuwa on a new deal.
Westbrook is a free agent again after spending last season on a minimum contract, and his level of play still makes him an interesting fit for a team looking for backcourt help. But Sacramentos cap reality has been a recurring theme, and with trade chatter still swirling around the roster, Perrys tone suggested the Kings are balancing respect for Westbrooks resume with the limits of what they can realistically put on the table. [Read more 🡒]