Kings pick Darius Acuff seventh overall

A 6’3″ point guard, Acuff started all 36 games he played as a freshman for Arkansas in 2025/26 and led the SEC with 23.5 points and 6.4 assists in 35.1 minutes per contest. He also pulled down 3.1 rebounds per game and posted an excellent shooting line of .484/.440/.809.

The 19-year-old’s standout season, which included a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament, earned him several year-end honors, including the SEC Player of the Year award and a consensus first-team All-American nod.

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo describes Acuff’s defense as “lackluster,” noting that he’s undersized and didn’t give consistent effort on that end of the floor during his time with the Razorbacks, but his upside as a scorer, play-maker, and offensive engine is significant.

Acuff immediately becomes the main building block of the Kings as they look to find a positive direction after several disappointing seasons. His ability to play in ball screens makes him an interesting offensive fit alongside Domantas Sabonis, should the veteran big man stay with the team, though the duo’s defensive outlook could prove challenging.

Despite questions about his size, Acuff is a tough player who embraces physicality and a bully-ball mentality. The key to actualizing his ceiling will be tapping into the same aggression and intensity on the defensive side of the floor.

While the bigger contracts on the roster take up much of the focus for the Kings, they have an interesting collection of young players, including Second-Team All-Rookie center Maxime Raynaud, rookie Nique Clifford, and Keegan Murray, who has struggled in recent years with health and finding a role in the Kings’ offense.

Acuff comes to Sacramento with a unique connection to the organization, as his father was coached by Kings general manager Scott Perry at Eastern Kentucky University.