The Sacramento Kings have another roster move to navigate after sending Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder for two future second-round picks, and the ripple effect is pretty clear: they’re down to 13 players under contract. That gives them two weeks to add someone and get back to 14.
The opening is there, but the need is even more obvious. Sacramento wants a backup point guard behind Darius Acuff Jr., who is carrying a massive workload at an NBA-leading 36.9 minutes per game.
For a 19-year-old rookie still settling into the league, that kind of burden is a lot to ask. So the Kings are looking for help, and there are a few different paths they could take.
The most straightforward option is Sean Pedulla, mostly because he’s already in the building. He’s on a two-way deal with the organization, which means Sacramento can convert him to a standard contract whenever it wants. Pedulla made a strong first impression with the Stockton Kings, putting up 25 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 9-of-20 from the field and 5-of-12 from three.
That shooting is the part that jumps off the page. Pedulla’s ability to stretch the floor would give the Kings more three-point volume, and ideally better efficiency too.
There’s also a catch, though: being in the organization may actually make it less likely that Sacramento signs him right away. The Kings could simply use his 50 two-way games and wait before making a move to a standard deal, which feels like the more likely outcome if Pedulla is part of the plan at all.
If Sacramento wants a more established option, Gabe Vincent fits the profile. Scott Perry has tended to value veteran point guards, and the Kings already took a swing this offseason with Elfrid Payton before moving on from him after a slow preseason. Add in the team’s ongoing need for defense, and Vincent starts to make a lot of sense.
The Kings were linked to Vincent in September, though nothing came together for them or anyone else. He’s still sitting on the open market as the season moves along. Last season, the 30-year-old split time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks and averaged 4.4 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebounds in the final year of his 3-year, $33 million contract.
Vincent brings defensive value and a career 33.8% mark from three, even if the recent numbers have been a little uneven. He shot 34.1% from deep last season and 35.3% the year before. His game may overlap a bit too much with Emanuel Sharp, but the Kings could still see him as a veteran presence who helps on the defensive end.
Then there’s the long shot: Russell Westbrook. It’s hard to see that one happening, but it’s at least on the board. The role would be there for about 20 minutes a night, and Westbrook could still give Sacramento a very different kind of guard option.
He averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds last season while playing 29 minutes per game. The biggest question, the same one that came up in the offseason, would be how he fits next to Acuff. In theory, the two could share the floor, with Acuff working off the ball the way he would have with Ben Simmons.
Even so, this feels like the least likely route, and maybe not even the best one if the Kings are truly prioritizing youth and development. Still, Perry’s history with veteran leadership at point guard means Westbrook can’t be ruled out completely, especially after the praise he earned for what he brought to the team last season.
In Other News...
Kings Fans Have A New Reason To Believe In Darius Acuff Jr
Darius Acuff Jr. has given Kings fans something tangible to latch onto during a rough stretch, and it has come in the form of steady production from a 19-year-old who is already looking far more polished than his age suggests. He has become one of the leagues leading scorers, averaging 25.2 points per game while pushing his shooting efficiency above 40 percent, a sign that the volume is starting to come with real progress.
His latest outing only strengthened the case that Sacramento may have found a cornerstone worth building around. Acuff posted a career-best 34 points, 14 assists, six rebounds and a steal, and in the process joined LeBron James as one of just two teenagers in NBA history to reach certain statistical milestones in a half. Even with the Kings still searching for consistency, Acuffs rise has become one of the few reasons the season feels worth tracking closely. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A Rotation Question They Cant Ignore
Dylan Cardwell is back in the mix for Sacramento after missing time with a left calf strain, and his second game of the season offered a reminder of why the Kings have been intrigued by him. In limited minutes, he brought energy on the defensive end and gave the team a different look around the rim, which is exactly the kind of presence Sacramento has been trying to find behind Domantas Sabonis.
The bigger question now is how the Kings make use of that defensive lift without crowding the center rotation. Sabonis remains the starter, but Cardwells impact has been noticeable enough that his playing time no longer feels like a throwaway detail. For a team trying to tighten up on that end, finding the right balance could matter more than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
De'Aaron Fox Just Highlighted Darius Acuff's Biggest Early Challenge
De'Aaron Foxs departure from Sacramento still lingers as part of the Kings recent history, and now his perspective is offering a useful early lens on the next wave of talent. After eight years with the franchise before being traded to San Antonio in February 2025, Fox weighed in on rookie Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and pointed to the same thing many young lead guards eventually have to learn: how to keep the scoring threat alive without letting the playmaking slip.
Acuff has arrived with plenty of production, averaging 25.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists through his first nine NBA games, which is exactly why Foxs advice matters. The challenge now is less about proving he can score and more about building the kind of balance that lets a guard control a game for the long haul, a test that tends to define whether a promising start becomes something bigger for Sacramento. [Read more 🡒]