Darius Acuff Jr. and Emanuel Sharp got some notable rookie praise ahead of next month’s season opener, with their 2026 draft classmates handing out superlatives in a league video.
The NBA’s X account posted the clip, which asked rookies to pick the class’s best scorer, best defender and most trustworthy option for a game-winning shot. Atlanta Hawks guard Kingston Flemings and Boston Celtics forward Chris Cenac Jr. both pointed to Acuff as the top scorer, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Nate Ament tabbed the seventh overall pick as the rookie he’d trust most with the final shot.
That kind of respect does not come lightly, and Acuff’s college production backs it up. The 19-year-old led the SEC in scoring at 23.5 points per game for the Arkansas Razorbacks, working at his own pace, getting to his spots and scoring from all three levels. He also had the ball in his hands late, including a game-winning assist against the Brooklyn Nets in the California Classic opener.
His summer league shooting numbers were uneven, but he still averaged 19 points against stronger competition. At Arkansas, the scoring load was even heavier in a double-overtime loss to No.
25 Alabama, when he logged 50 minutes and poured in 49 points. He also hit the tying three-pointer with 12 seconds left to force overtime.
Cenac also singled out Sharp as the group’s best defender, and that choice fits the way he operated at Houston. Sharp was often matched with the other team’s top perimeter scorer and was part of a defense that allowed just 62.3 points per game, the fewest in the Big 12. Over his college career, he averaged 1.1 steals, including a career-best 1.5 in the 2022-23 season.
For the Kings, Sharp profiles as a bench-ready 3-and-D guard, though the path to minutes looks crowded. Sacramento ranked 27th in points allowed at 121 per game and tied the Nets for the league’s worst three-point percentage at 34%. Even so, Sharp may still be behind Zach LaVine and Nique Clifford on the depth chart at shooting guard, which would put him in line as the third-string option.
In Other News...
Kings Interest In RJ Barrett Could Signal A Real Roster Shakeup
The Kings offseason has already had a few moving parts, and RJ Barretts name surfacing in Sacramento only adds to the sense that more roster reshuffling could be coming. The reported framework would bring Barrett from Toronto to a Kings team that has shown interest in him before, with the connection to general manager Scott Perry giving the idea a familiar edge rather than a purely speculative one.
On the other side, the Raptors have a crowded enough wing picture that a deal like this at least fits the kind of decision-making teams make when they need to sort out roles and fit. Sacramentos side would not be painless, since Malik Monk remains a useful piece and the inclusion of Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden underscores that this would be more than a simple one-for-one swap. For now, though, there is no official trade, which leaves the question of whether the Kings are truly preparing for a real shakeup or just keeping tabs on another possible pivot. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A Wing Decision That Could Shape The Rotation
The wing spot has become one of the more intriguing parts of the Kings roster puzzle heading toward the 2026 season. DeAndre Hunter is the clearest bet to open as a starter, but the rest of the group gives Sacramento a very different kind of depth than it has had at times in recent seasons, with Nique Clifford bringing two-way intrigue, Ben Simmons offering versatility and rookie Alex Karaban entering with a chance to carve out a role after a strong college run.
That mix gives the coaching staff options, but it also creates a real decision about how the rotation should be shaped and who deserves the most consistent minutes. Cliffords development could push the picture in one direction, Simmons changes it in another, and Karaban adds a young variable that makes the competition more than just a placeholder battle. For a team looking to maximize lineup flexibility, the wing rotation may end up being one of the quieter but most important roster calls of the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Rebuild Could Cost Sacramento More Familiar Faces Next Summer
The Kings rebuild has already started to reshape the roster, and the next wave of decisions could determine just how much continuity Sacramento keeps from one season to the next. As the front office tries to thread the needle between staying competitive and resetting around younger pieces, a few familiar names are suddenly part of a much bigger conversation about where this team is headed.
Zach LaVine is expected to be elsewhere by the 2027-28 season, while Domantas Sabonis appears far more likely to stay because of the contract situation around him. Beyond those two, Sacramento still has a list of movable or uncertain pieces to sort through, including Nique Clifford, Daeqwon Plowden, Ben Simmons, Malik Monk and De'Andre Hunter, which means the Kings may have more roster churn ahead before the rebuild really settles in. [Read more 🡒]