Kings acquire draft rights to UConn star Alex Karaban in trade with Cavaliers

The Sacramento Kings could have been content with the selection of Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. in the first round of the NBA draft, but they didn’t stop there.

The Kings made a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire the draft rights to UConn standout Alex Karaban, the 29^th overall pick, in exchange for the 34^th pick in this year’s draft and a future second-round pick.

Karaban, 23, is a 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward who helped UConn win back-to-back NCAA championships in 2023 and 2024.

Karaban earned first-team All-Big East Conference honors as a senior this season. He averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field and 37.4% from 3-point range.

Jason Anderson

The Sacramento Bee

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Jason Anderson has been the Sacramento Kings beat writer for The Sacramento Bee since 2018. He is a Sacramento native who is proud to provide coverage that is as passionate and dedicated as the loyal Kings fan base.