Darius Acuff wasted no time making a statement in his preseason debut, and the Sacramento Kings got exactly the kind of first look they were hoping for. Thrown right into the fire as a starting point guard, the rookie handled the assignment and gave the Kings a glimpse of what they believe their future can look like.
For Sacramento, that matters because the point guard spot has been a mess for a while. The team once had De'Aaron Fox as its primary option with Tyrese Haliburton behind him, then moved on from both.
Dennis Schroder was the next answer, but that didn’t last, and the Kings sent him to the Cavaliers at the 2026 deadline. He’s already been traded again, this time to the Hornets.
Russell Westbrook later steadied the position in 2025-2026 and played really good basketball, but he’s also not the kind of player a rebuild can be built around at this stage of his career.
That’s where Acuff enters the picture. Sacramento took him seventh overall with the idea that he could grow into the starting role, and the early signs were encouraging. In his first game running the offense, he had to deal with Luka Doncic, which is about as tough a debut test as a rookie point guard can get.
Acuff responded with 19 points, two rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block. He wasn’t perfect, and the box score showed it.
He shot 47.1% from the field, going eight for 17, and he also picked up two personal fouls while committing five turnovers. Still, the overall impression was strong.
He looked aggressive, confident, and ready to attack. The Kings lost to the Lakers, but Acuff’s first showing gave Sacramento a real reason to believe he can become the player they drafted him to be.
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