In the 2026 NBA Draft, Scott Perry worked some magic to get another first round pick so the Sacramento Kings could secure Alex Karaban. So far, he's spent most of the season on the bench with minimal development. He's probably quietly hoping to follow Nique Clifford to another team.
Karaban was a standout college player. He played four seasons with the UConn Huskies, picking up back-to-back NCAA championships in 2023 and 2024. UConn loved this guy so much that he became the first active player in the school's history have his jersey retired.
What's the hubbub around Karaban? He's an incredibly durable combo forward who brings secondary playmaking, help defense, and low-maintenance offense to the court. Plus, he's one of the UConn program's all-time leaders in three-point shooting and has a winning mentality.
All of this is why the Kings worked so hard to make sure they drafted him. Now 10 games into the regular season, Karaban has been a healthy scratch five times and only gotten minimal minutes the rest. He's currently averaging 9.8 minutes per game in the five games he got to play in.
The Kings are not a good situation for Karaban
It's already becoming evident that the Kings don't plan to put much effort into Karaban's development. His minutes are minimal on a good day, assuming he gets to play at all. And when he is on the court, his usage is borderline non-existent. This is starting to look like a dead end for Karaban.
Honestly, getting traded to a team with a well-defined developmental system would turn Karaban into an elite wing. The Heat, Spurs, and Thunder are generally recognized as having the best coaches and programs in the league. That's something more than one former King draft pick can confirm.
If the Kings aren't going to put Karaban to work, trade him to the Thunder for more draft picks. That's what Sacramento did with Nique Clifford. The less time Karaban has to waste on a Kings bench during a game, the better his career will be in the long run. He worked too hard for this opportunity.
Besides, Sam Presti has more draft picks than he knows what to do with. Moving Karaban over to the Thunder would help the rookie's career, lighten Presti's load, and get the Kings some more rookies to waste before trading them for even more draft picks. It's a winning plan for Sacramento, to be sure.
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