Sacramento’s path back to relevance starts with the same thing every rebuild eventually comes down to: young talent that actually sticks.
That’s the bet Scott Perry is making. The Kings general manager has already said the franchise is in the early stages of a rebuild and that getting back to relevancy will take at least a few years. After a strong 2026 NBA Draft, the process looks a step further along, but the roster still has real work ahead before anyone can talk seriously about contender status.
The biggest swing in that draft was Darius Acuff Jr., who Sacramento took with the No. 7 pick and is being counted on as the new franchise point guard. There are obvious defensive questions, but the offensive upside is what makes him such a central piece. His 29-shot Summer League debut clearly rattled some fans, yet the bigger picture hasn’t changed: Acuff Jr. has the scoring and playmaking ability to help breathe life into Sacramento’s offense if he’s given time to settle in.
He already flashed that scoring punch in his California Classic debut, when he posted a game-high 25 points in a win over Brooklyn. The hope in Sacramento is that, down the line, Acuff Jr. could develop into one of the league’s best point guards.
If that happens, the Kings would have a much better shot at climbing into the playoff mix. Even then, he won’t be able to carry the whole thing by himself.
That’s where the rest of the young group matters. The Kings need development from Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford, Alex Karaban, and Emanuel Sharp if this is going to turn into something real. Sacramento’s draft class of Acuff Jr., Karaban, and Sharp is supposed to help fuel the rebuild, but the larger answer depends on whether that group grows together and forms a legitimate core.
There’s also the possibility that one of Murray, Clifford, or Raynaud emerges as a co-star next to Acuff Jr. That kind of internal rise would change the ceiling fast. The Kings have struggled with development at times, but this is the part of the rebuild where they have to lean into it and trust the growth of the roster they’ve assembled.
And the franchise’s history makes the urgency obvious. Sacramento hasn’t been a contender in over 20 years, and plenty of different groups have come and gone with fans hoping they’d be the one to finally break through. Instead, the Kings are back with another revamped roster and another reset.
Still, this version comes with some reason for optimism. Perry appears to have a plan, the young core is improving, and the draft gave the organization a real foundation to work with. It may even take some luck in the draft lottery over the next couple of years, but after a 60-loss 2025-26 campaign, the baseline expectation has to be progress.
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If James winds up elsewhere, Golden State is expected to keep shopping in the veteran lane, and DeRozans name has surfaced as a possible fit. For a Kings team that just moved on from him, it is another reminder that his next landing spot could still matter in the Western Conference, especially if a contender decides his scoring and experience are worth the gamble. [Read more 🡒]