The Kings’ newest rookies didn’t wait long to get to work.
After arriving in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon to a warm welcome from fans, Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp were already asking to get into the gym on Day 1, according to general manager Scott Perry. That early move fit the tone of their introductory press conference Monday: three young players talking openly about helping turn the franchise around and being part of a new foundation.
“It's a great feeling,” Sharp said at the rookies’ introductory press conference Monday. “Getting off the plane, it kind of caught me by surprise.
I wasn't ready for it, but great fans. It just shows how invested they are, and that's all you can ask for in the fan base.
“So, I can't wait to be out there on the floor with them cheering for us and lighting the beam.”
For Acuff, the message was even more direct. Sacramento has gone three straight seasons without making the playoffs and won just 22 games last season, but the rookie guard said he sees his role in plain terms.
“I’m looking to bring it back,” Acuff told NBC Sports California on Monday. “That’s what I’m here for.
I’m not a guy to just tell you a lie in the media. I’d rather just go on the court and do it.
Like I said, I’m excited to play in front of the fans; they deserve to start winning again. So I’m excited to do it for them.”
The Kings did have their “Beam Team” run, the one playoff trip they’ve made in the last 20 years, and the fan base has stayed hungry for more ever since. Acuff said he understands that appetite, but he doesn’t feel burdened by it.
“No, I don't really feel pressure. It's just basketball at the end of the day,” Acuff Jr said. “We all been hooping for a long time, so I just go out there and play my game for real.”
Sharp echoed that mindset. He said he senses the urgency around the organization, but not in a way that weighs him down.
“I feel the hunger but not pressure,” Sharp told NBC Sports California. “We’re stepping into a new situation. They’re trying to build something here, so it’s really just looking forward to starting the process of building good habits, bonding with my teammates and establishing a great culture.”
Sharp, a second-round pick, comes in with a reputation as a shooter. Over four seasons at Houston, he made 37.6 percent of his 3-point attempts on nearly six tries per game. Some see him as a possible 3-and-D piece, but he said the defensive side is what he takes most seriously.
“When people see me, they probably think of my shooting,” Sharp said Monday, “but I like to pride myself on my defense first. I come from a defensive program, so, like I said, we take a lot of pride in defensive stops. So I think that's probably the main area of my game.”
That had to sound good to Doug Christie, who sat front row at Monday’s press conference. Since becoming coach last season, Christie has made defense a constant theme, and Perry has pushed the same message as the Kings try to build an identity.
Sharp said his conversations with Christie have only reinforced that fit.
“[My conversations with Christie] have been great,” Sharp told NBC Sports California. “I love everything he’s been preaching and everything he wants for this team.
I think I fit right in. I’m excited to have him as my coach.”
He’s also looking forward to forming a bond with Acuff and Karaban as the three rookies begin this stretch together.
“I’m ready to build that bond with them and get started on what we have to do here,” Sharp told NBC Sports California.
Karaban, whom the Kings traded up to select No. 29 overall, called this his “new chapter,” and the start came quickly. Perry said the rookies’ first instinct after landing in Sacramento was to get to the practice facility and work alongside players who were already there.
“That gives you some insight into who they are and what the game means to them,” Perry said Monday. “And again, those are qualities that are important to us. We want guys that value and love playing this game, and so as soon as they hit the ground, that was one of the first things they wanted to do.”
In Other News...
Kings Just Sent Another Clear Message About Their Backcourt Future
The back end of Sacramentos roster has been in motion for a while, and Killian Hayes is the latest guard to lose his spot. The Kings brought him in during an injury-ravaged stretch of the 2025-26 season, first on short-term help and later on a deal with a team option, but the move always looked like a stopgap rather than a long-term commitment.
What comes next says even more about how the Kings view their backcourt. Daeqwon Plowden has been in the mix and has flashed enough to stay on the staffs radar, and the organization is now weighing a bigger role for him as it trims down its guard picture. For a team trying to sort out who really belongs in the rotation, this is another small but telling signal about where the future is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Free Agency Plan May Signal A Much Bigger Frontcourt Shakeup
The Kings are heading into free agency with more frontcourt questions than usual, and Precious Achiuwa looks like one of the cleaner answers on their board. Sacramento is expected to pursue a return for the big man, a move that would keep a familiar piece in place while the team sorts through a busier set of possibilities around its interior rotation.
At the same time, the picture around the rest of the front line is anything but settled. There has been ongoing buzz around Jonathan Kuminga, though the reporting on Sacramentos level of interest has not been consistent, and Russell Westbrook is also expected to move on even as Washington has shown some interest. Taken together, it has the feel of a summer in which the Kings may be preparing for a much bigger reshuffle than a routine depth move. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Free Agency Buzz Just Raised The Stakes On A Franchise Pivot
The opening of free agency always tends to ripple beyond the teams making the first splash, and Sacramento has already been pulled into the conversation. Around the league, the Warriors are being tied to a possible run at LeBron James and a trade for Anthony Davis, while Kristaps Porziis has already agreed to stay in Golden State and Draymond Green and De'Anthony Melton have declined their options. For the Kings, that kind of early movement matters because the West is shifting quickly, and every front office is watching which names come off the board first.
Zach LaVines decision to opt into his contract for 2026-27 is another piece of the domino chain, especially with other contract calls and trade discussions still taking shape. Sacramento has spent the opening stretch of free agency in the same current as the rest of the league, where one move can alter the market for everyone else, and the next few days could tell the Kings whether they are looking at a narrow upgrade path or something far more dramatic. [Read more 🡒]