NBA draft experts give Sacramento Kings surprising grades. Here’s what they said
The Sacramento Kings have made some very notable mistakes in the NBA draft over the years.
They chose Tyreke Evans over Stephen Curry in 2009, Jimmer Fredette over Klay Thompson in 2011, Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard in 2012 and Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic in 2018, just to name a few.
The Kings are no strangers to criticism, but general manager Scott Perry and his staff are getting rave reviews from draft analysts after selecting Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7, Alex Karaban at No. 29 and Emanuel Sharp at No. 45.
Here’s how a number of national media members are grading Sacramento’s showing in this year’s draft.
The Athletic
Sam Vecenie, a senior NBA writer for The Athletic and one of the nation’s top draft experts, gave the Kings an A+ grade, saying only the Memphis Grizzlies had a better draft in terms of process and value.
“This is my second-favorite draft,” Vecenie wrote. “First and foremost, we can’t overemphasize that an awesome player preferred to go to the Kings over other landing spots and ended up there. I had Acuff as my fifth-ranked player and think he’ll turn into a terrific lead guard with All-Star upside. This is a home run for the Kings.
“But the Kings also ended up with two more players out of the 35 I gave guaranteed contract grades to, and they did for the mere price of three second-rounders. The Kings chose to surround Acuff with winning players. Karaban is the all-time winningest player at UConn. He’s a sharp team defender who passes well, makes all the unselfish plays and knocks down 37 percent of his 3s. Sharp is the second-winningest player in Houston basketball history and an awesome defender who won All-Defense honors in the Big 12, plus he’s a terrific 3-point shooter.”
Yahoo Sports
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has been one of the Kings’ biggest critics, but he gave them an A+ for drafting Acuff at No. 7.
“Credit to the Kings front office for correctly calling the bluff by the Clippers and Nets, both of whom were rumored to threaten taking Acuff to force the Kings to move up in the draft,” O’Connor wrote. “But Sacramento stuck with this spot and was rewarded with the guard the front office wanted all along in Acuff, a wiry scorer who can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor with a quick trigger, slippery handle, and a feel for manipulating defenses.
“After entering college with the reputation of a ball hog, he changed that and emerged as a skilled, low-turnover playmaker who sprayed the ball around the floor and put in significant effort moving off-ball. So while he is not the biggest guard or the most explosive athlete, he reads defenses like someone who’s been in the league for a decade.”
ESPN
ESPN’s Ben Golliver gave out eight A grades. The Kings were not one of them, but they didn’t miss by much in earning a B+ grade.
“As a small guard with limitless scoring ability who also happens to be a major defensive liability, Acuff is unlikely to develop into a player capable of being the best player on a championship team,” Golliver wrote. “That’s OK for Sacramento, which has more immediate concerns: erasing the bad memories of a dreadful 2025-26 season, plus installing a new point guard of the future after trading Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox.
“Acuff got straight to work at Arkansas, where he led the SEC in scoring and assists as a freshman, and Sacramento should give him the green light from day one. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Karaban, who won two NCAA titles at UConn, projects as a classic 3-and-D role player.”
CBS Sports
Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports gave the Kings an A- for the selection of Acuff.
“This is exactly what Sacramento wanted and it didn’t have to trade up to get him,” Finkelstein wrote. “Acuff gives the Kings the type of offensive alpha creator they don’t yet have and he provides a more immediate impact than other players on the board, especially on the offensive end of the floor. Acuff is a shot-creator and multi-level scoring threat. He has the strength, balance, and poise to dictate his own pace and supplements that with extreme confidence to deliver in big games and moments.”
