Charles Barkley isn’t buying a quick turnaround in Sacramento.
The Hall of Famer took a hard line on the Kings on Thursday at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, saying the franchise needs far more than a normal offseason reset to get back into the playoff picture. Barkley did praise the fan base, but his overall message was brutally clear: the Kings are nowhere near ready.
"A miracle, the hand of God, the Pope coming to town before the Kings going to be any good," Barkley said. "Yeah, we got to get Pope Leo in town."
He kept going from there, making it plain that his view of Sacramento has not changed much since February, when he compared the team to the Harlem Globetrotters.
"The Kings are in bad shape right now, and it sucks because they have one of the best fan bases in the world," Barkley said. "I love Sacramento fans, but they need a miracle."
Sacramento is trying to build around rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Acuff has flashed promise in Summer League, and the Kings have leaned into a youth movement that also includes rookies Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp, along with second-year players Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell expected to take on bigger jobs.
But Barkley’s skepticism centered on the bigger picture. One young guard, even one with upside, is not enough to make him believe Sacramento is suddenly on the rise in a loaded Western Conference.
The Kings are also dealing with a roster in transition after waiving DeMar DeRozan in a cost-cutting move. Trade talk has continued to swirl around Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, while general manager Scott Perry has repeatedly emphasized the need for a tougher, more disciplined identity after last season’s 22-60 finish.
Sacramento last made the playoffs in 2022-23, when it won 48 games before falling to the Golden State Warriors in seven games in the first round. Since then, the roster has been heavily reshaped, with De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and DeRozan all gone.
"I want to see the Kings do well because they've got a tremendous fan base," Barkley said. "But you need God to come in, the Pope, Jesus, Moses. Y'all need a lot of help for the Sacramento Kings to be good."
In Other News...
John Wall Just Sent Kings Fans A Big Darius Acuff Message
Darius Acuff Jr. has already drawn some real attention in Sacramento, and it is easy to see why the Kings are intrigued. The former Calipari guard arrived with a reputation as a promising young scorer, and he fits neatly into the kind of long-view talent evaluation teams lean on during Summer League, especially when a players ceiling seems to matter as much as the early returns.
John Wall only added to that buzz with the kind of endorsement that tends to travel fast around the league. A fellow Calipari alumnus and former NBA All-Star, Wall put Acuff in rare company as a scorer, which is the sort of praise that can stick with a young guard even as he continues to find his footing in Las Vegas. For Kings fans, it is another reminder that Acuffs name is already starting to come up in bigger conversations, even if the on-court production has not fully caught up yet. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Loss May Have Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Expected
The Kings perfect Summer League run ended in a 104-85 loss to Washington, and the scoreline came with a reminder that summer success can be fragile once the competition tightens. Maxime Raynaud still gave Sacramento plenty to like in his debut, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while the team also got a look at a two-big setup by starting Raynaud alongside Dylan Cardwell.
What stood out just as much was how quickly the game tilted away from Sacramento once Washington found rhythm and pressure. Darius Acuff Jr. had a rough shooting night, and the Kings never really solved the defensive issues that let the Wizards keep control, leaving this loss to feel less like a blip and more like a useful warning sign for what still needs cleaning up. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Gave An Undrafted Rookie A Real Chance To Impress
Elias Ralph has already taken a meaningful step toward a pro basketball future, landing a spot on the Kings Summer League roster after going through a workout with the team about a month earlier. The former Pacific forward, who went undrafted, said he is grateful for the chance and is treating the summer as a chance to learn, improve and show he belongs in a professional setting.
Ralph has not yet appeared in a Summer League game, and he was out during the California Classic, but the opportunity alone gives him a platform to keep building. For a player trying to turn a strong college run into a real career, the next stretch is about staying ready, absorbing everything he can and hoping the work eventually opens a door to a G League role and, down the line, an NBA roster spot. [Read more 🡒]