After a successful 2025 NBA Draft, selecting Colorado State wing Nique Clifford with the No. 24 pick and center Maxime Raynaud at No. 42, the Sacramento Kings are looking to go back-to-back in successful drafts.
Sacramento has even better draft capital this year, selecting at No. 7.
Now what will they do? Although it’s supposed to be a secret leading up until they are on the clock, ESPN’s Anthony Slater revealed their top priority.
“The Sacramento Kings’ long-standing interest in Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. is an open secret in the NBA,” the insider wrote. “If Acuff is there at No. 7, it’s widely expected that general manager Scott Perry will select him.”
Kings and Darius Acuff Jr. Have Mutual Interest
The Sacramento Kings, who own the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. have mutual interest between the two sides. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
Throughout the 2026 NBA Draft process, it’s been widely known that both the Sacramento Kings and Darius Acuff Jr. are interested in each other.
Acuff Jr. visited Sacramento for an in-person meeting with the franchise’s coaching staff and front office earlier in June, Slater said. While the Kings look to rebuild off a disappointing 22-60 finish to 2025-26, Acuff Jr. “would eventually get the keys to the offense.”
Acuff Jr. also had a private workout with the organization earlier this month, per Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento.
It will be interesting if Acuff Jr. falls as far as No. 7. There’s speculation that the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 5 and the Brooklyn Nets at No. 6 are looking to select a guard as well.
Darius Acuff Jr.’s Impressive Freshman Season at Arkansas
In his only year at Arkansas, Darius Acuff Jr. helped lead the Razorbacks to a conference championship. He also earned the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, Bob Cousy Award, and was a consensus First-Team All-American. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
While evaluating Darius Acuff Jr., the only true downside of the 19-year-old is his 6-foot-2, 186-pound frame.
This didn’t prove to be an issue for Arkansas in the SEC, and the hope is that it won’t be an issue in the NBA.
While leading Arkansas to a conference championship, Acuff Jr. earned the SEC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards while being a consensus First-Team All-American. On top of this, the top draft prospect won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard.
He was the first freshman in NCAA history to win the Bob Cousy Award.
In 36 games under head coach John Calipari, he finished top-10 in the nation with 23.5 points per game while adding 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists on 48.4/44.0/80.9 shooting splits.
Kings Trading for Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Are ‘Unlikely’
While the Sacramento Kings look to draft Darius Acuff Jr. in the 2026 NBA Draft, trading for Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant becomes unlikely. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
While the Sacramento Kings have expressed interest in acquiring a new franchise point guard, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been labeled as a potential suitor.
With the Kings projected to take a point guard with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, the chances of the franchise pursuing Morant going forward are unlikely,” Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported. “This past season, the Kings were willing to acquire Morant if they were incentivized, but Memphis was uninterested in giving up draft compensation to move Morant, a two-time All-Star.”
Sacramento wanted draft compensation included in a deal for Ja Morant. The Grizzlies were “uninterested” in doing so, Scotto added.
Despite the Grizzlies showing that they want to trade Ja Morant and the Kings showing interest in a guard, it doesn’t appear that the 2022 Most Improved Player will end up in Sacramento.
Kings Provide No. 7 Pick Update Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft