NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Darius Acuff Jr. after he is drafted seventh overall by the Sacramento Kings during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Mandatory photo credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings introduced their 2026 draft picks on Monday at Golden 1 Center during a press conference hosted at the main entrance of the arena.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, the Kings made three picks in the NBA Draft. The Kings selected Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick in the draft, Alex Karaban with the 29th overall selection, and Emanuel Sharp with their final pick of the draft at No. 45.

The Kings had long been rumored to be in the sweepstakes for Acuff Jr., and the Arkansas alum was widely viewed around the league as one of the better selections of the draft at the seventh position.

“Getting drafted, that’s the ultimate moment,” Acuff Jr. said to the media on Monday. “Just being at a table with your family, seeing them smile, that’s the best part.”

Acuff led the SEC in scoring and assists this past season, averaging 23.5 points per game while adding 6.4 assists. His scoring ability and being the best available player are certainly the main reasons the Kings were so interested in him. He truly has the potential to be one of the best offensive players in the league.

“We prioritized talent, basketball IQ, competitiveness, character, and the potential to make a long-term impact,” Kings GM Scott Perry said Monday.

Acuff Jr. is just as excited as the Kings and their fans to get going heading into this summer.

“It’s a great fan base,” Darius told me on Monday. “They support you no matter what, and they just deserve winning, so I definitely want to bring that here for sure, and I thank them for that support.”

The biggest question mark for Acuff Jr. coming into his pro career is his defense. He wasn’t known for his defensive work at Arkansas, but it will be required of him on the Kings. I asked Darius where he thinks he slots into the Kings’ defensive scheme heading into the 2026 season.

“Definitely on-ball and guard my position for sure,” Acuff said. “You got defensive schemes on teams, so you might have to guard the two, three, whatever. I’m looking forward to anything the coach wants me to do, no matter what the position is or anything. So anything I got to do for the coach — to lock in on defense and get stops as a team — that’s what I’m willing to do.”

Alex Karaban, the Kings’ 29th overall selection in the draft, comes to Sacramento as the winningest player in UConn Huskies history. Karaban made it to three championship games and won two of them in his collegiate career while averaging just over 13 points and five rebounds in his senior year.

I asked Karaban what the most underrated part of his game was, and it will probably not come as a surprise to many people.

“I think it’s the IQ that I play with,” Karaban said. “I think just processing plays and just seeing things develop before they actually happen. I think especially during my time at UConn, we had a bunch of plays, a bunch of sets, and a lot of read and react. So I think definitely the IQ that I could bring to a team.”

With the 45th selection in the draft, the Kings selected Emanuel Sharp from Houston, who averaged just over 37% from deep this past year. Sharp can certainly shoot it, but it’s his defense that will help keep him in the NBA. Sharp told me on Monday that it is the defensive end of the floor where he hangs his hat.

“For me, it’s probably my defense,” Sharp said. “When people see me, they probably think of my shooting, but I like to pride myself on my defense first.”

It’s an exciting new dawn for the Sacramento Kings as they enter the summer to prepare for next season. The Kings’ new additions will participate in the California Classic next week before heading to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League beginning on July 9.