Scott Perry didn’t hide what the Kings were chasing in the 2026 NBA Draft. Sacramento wanted talent, sure, but also the kind of players who bring basketball IQ, competitiveness, character and staying power. That checklist helped lead the franchise to UConn standout Alex Karaban, who was introduced Monday as part of the team’s draft class.
Karaban, along with first-round pick Darius Acuff Jr. and second-round selection Emanuel Sharp, landed in Sacramento because Perry believes all three match what the Kings are trying to build.
“As we approached this year's draft, we had a clear vision of what we wanted to add to this organization. We prioritize talent.
Basketball IQ. Competitiveness.
Character. And the potential to make a long-term impact.
Those traits, those are the traits that we believe are essential to building a long-term sustainable winning organization," Perry said.
“Equally important, we wanted to get players who we knew and believe fit our culture that we're establishing here in Sacramento. Darius, Alex and Emanuel all reflect those values.”
That word - culture - came up often around Karaban on Monday, and he sounded ready for it. Sitting at the far end of the table from Perry, the UConn product spoke like someone who already understands the direction Sacramento wants to go under Perry and head coach Doug Christie.
“Culture is probably the second word I've heard a lot, too,” Karaban said. “It's just establishing a culture and a foundation that you could lean back on through the good and the bad times and that's something we've definitely talked a lot throughout this process for myself.”
Perry pointed to Karaban’s game and résumé as a big part of why the Kings made him a first-round pick. He highlighted the shooting, the connective play and the habits that help winning teams function.
“Alex Karaban was one of the most accomplished players in college basketball. He's the winningest player of all time in UConn Husky history,” Perry said.
“That says a lot. Two-time national champion, so he brings a winning pedigree.
He's an outstanding shooter. He's a connector.
He does all the little things that are important, when we're talking about winning basketball games.”
The UConn angle mattered here, too. Dan Hurley’s program has built its identity around culture, and Perry said that background carried real weight in the draft room. Hurley has taken the Huskies to three Final Fours and two national championships over the past four seasons, and Karaban made it clear how much of that experience he intends to bring with him.
“Coach Hurley, he changed my life and I wouldn't be here without him,” Karaban said. “Just the tough love that he instilled every single day and just pushing me to be a better person, a better person and player at the same time.”
He added: “Just those core values that he instilled in me is something that I want to carry over to this organization. And just really getting better every single day and just knowing how hard it is to win, and that's something I'm excited to bring here.”
Perry said the same logic applied to the other two picks as well, with Acuff coming from John Calipari’s Arkansas program and Sharp from Kelvin Sampson’s Houston team. The Kings believe the lessons those players absorbed from their college coaches will travel with them to Sacramento.
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Alex Karaban Is Walking Into A Very Different Standard In Sacramento
Alex Karaban has already taken the first step into a very different basketball world. The former UConn forward, selected No. 29 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, arrived in Sacramento to begin his career with the Kings, where team personnel and fans were on hand to welcome him at the airport. For a player who built his college reputation in a winning culture, the move puts him in a spot where the organization is trying to reset and build something new.
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