The Sacramento Kings have spent far too long wandering in NBA limbo, but this summer gave them a fresh reason to believe. New general manager Scott Perry is already steering things in a better direction, and the optimism got a jolt in the NBA Draft when Sacramento used the No. 7 pick on Darius Acuff Jr., the 19-year-old point guard out of Arkansas.
Acuff isn’t hiding what he thinks he can bring to the franchise, either. In a recent interview with ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, he made his case plainly.
“Honestly, it all comes down to my hunger to win. I hate losing," Acuff Jr. said.
"Any time I am on the court, it's not about my stats or any of that. My focus is only on winning.
After Summer League, it's all about building chemistry with my new teammates, getting in the gym, and charting a path to success. I think that will go a long way in achieving our goals.
All the outside noise of what we will be like won't matter because inside the gym, we'll know what we are capable of. I think that will go a long way.”
That kind of mindset is exactly what Sacramento is hoping to build around. The Kings need a player willing to grab the wheel, set the tone, and help drag the team forward. Acuff Jr. has already shown he’s not shy about embracing that responsibility.
His first run in a Kings uniform offered a mixed bag, but there were flashes of the offensive talent that made him a top-seven pick. He saved his best outing for Sacramento’s Las Vegas finale, where he put up 26 points and five assists on 9-18 shooting from the field and 2-6 from deep.
26 POINTS for Darius Acuff Jr. 😳He scored 16 of his 26 in the 3Q... watch the 7th overall pick play in the 4Q now on Prime! pic.twitter.com/1VcWJuJ6pt
The rough edges were there, too. Acuff Jr. averaged 3.8 turnovers per game, shot 35% from the field and 27% from 3-point range, and his defense looked about what you’d expect at this stage. Still, the early returns don’t have to be perfect for Sacramento to feel encouraged.
Acuff Jr. wasn’t exactly discouraged by his own first stretch of NBA action, either.
“I feel good about what I did out here,” Acuff told Siegel. “I'm not happy that we haven't won as much as I would've liked, but it's all about finding ways to get better.
Handling the pressure and finding ways to improve. That's what it's about for me. ...
It's really new, so it's just about gathering as much information and learning as much as I can."
There’s still a long way to go, but the Kings’ young core is moving in the right direction. With a long 2026-27 regular season ahead and no expectations hanging over them, Sacramento should have plenty of room for those young pieces to grow.
In Other News...
Another Kings Big Could Be Headed Out As Frontcourt Reset Continues
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For Sacramento, Eubanks is another frontcourt piece whose future is suddenly in question as the roster continues to shift around the paint. The Knicks do not have much cap flexibility, but they may still have a path to bring him in on a cheaper deal, which would give New York another veteran option and leave the Kings watching yet another big man potentially move on. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Have Every Reason To Fear A Rebuild Disaster
The Kings are heading into next season with the kind of margin for error that makes every roster decision feel heavier than the last. Financial constraints are already limiting what the front office can do, and after a season undone by a shaky defense and a wave of injuries, Sacramento is left leaning on the same core group plus its rookies to keep the year from spiraling.
Darius Acuff Jr. is part of that answer, and so is whatever development the Kings can squeeze out of a roster that may not get much outside help. The problem is that the leagues new 3-2-1 lottery setup makes life even harsher for teams stuck near the bottom, which means finishing in the wrong place could leave Sacramento without the kind of draft luck that usually softens a rebuild. [Read more 🡒]