Sacramento is making a clear bet on Emanuel Sharp, and it goes beyond where he was picked. The Kings gave the 45th selection a rare three-year, $6.35 million deal with two fully guaranteed seasons, a notable commitment for a second-rounder in the mid-40s.
That kind of investment usually isn’t reserved for players taken this late. More often, picks in that range end up on two-way contracts or without multiple guaranteed years. But the Kings have already shown they’re willing to take that swing, and they’ve been rewarded before.
Last year, Sacramento drafted Maxime Raynaud at No. 42, then watched the 7-foot-1 Frenchman turn that opportunity into a Western Conference Rookie of the Month honor in March and a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. Raynaud signed a nearly identical deal, a three-year, $5.49 million contract with the first two seasons guaranteed.
Sharp’s path to Sacramento started with the fit, not just the draft slot. He preferred the organization’s pitch over a longer wait on draft night, and in his meetings with general manager Scott Perry and coach Doug Christie, he felt valued. That matters, especially for a player who could be part of a rebuilding push.
The appeal is obvious. Sharp brings shooting and defense, two things Sacramento needs badly.
At Houston, he made 36.7% of his threes over four seasons and averaged 1.1 steals per game. In the NCAA Tournament, he stayed sharp from deep as well, hitting 38.1% from beyond the arc in three games.
He carried that touch into summer league. When the Kings were having trouble scoring, Sharp helped steady them with his perimeter shooting. He went 6-for-11 from three against the Brooklyn Nets and 4-for-9 against the Charlotte Hornets.
At 6-foot-3, he doesn’t have the size of a traditional wing stopper, but he plays like a pest on defense. He gets into ball-handlers, crowds their space and makes life uncomfortable by digging at the ball.
That profile fits what Sacramento needs. The Kings finished 27th in points allowed at 121 per game and tied the Brooklyn Nets for the worst three-point percentage in the league at 34%. A 3-and-D guard with Sharp’s habits makes a lot of sense for a roster trying to clean up both ends.
The challenge is getting him on the floor. Sharp is likely facing an uphill battle for rotation minutes next season, and he could open the year as the third-string shooting guard behind Zach LaVine and Nique Clifford.
LaVine’s situation is part of that traffic jam. His $49 million contract has not created much movement on the trade market, and the 12-year veteran is expected to remain with the Kings unless a team is willing to take on that salary in a deal for depth.
Even so, Sacramento seems comfortable betting on the rookie’s upside. As Dave put it on "The Carmichael Dave Show" on Wednesday morning, "Maybe on the high end, a Marcus Smart type," Dave said on "The Carmichael Dave Show" on Wednesday morning. "If Emanuel Sharp can be what we hoped Devin Carter would be, I’m going to be very happy.”
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Keegan Murrays New Deal Just Raised The Stakes For Sacramento
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The contract comes with obvious intrigue because Murrays most recent season was disrupted by a thumb ligament tear and a series of left ankle injuries that limited him to 23 games. Sacramento is betting that the setbacks were a detour, not a detour that changes the player, and the next step is seeing how he fits into a future in which the Kings are counting on him to be a foundational piece. [Read more 🡒]