Darius Acuff Jr. has only been a Sacramento King since Tuesday evening, and he already has the city behind him. In his response to getting drafted, Acuff expressed his appreciation for the fans and how happy he is to be in Sacramento. That's the energy the Kings need from their new point guard.
Instant reaction from Sacramento Kings fans after the franchise selects Darius Acuff Jr with the 7th overall pick. pic.twitter.com/hvTdUDSPPq
— Kevin John (@heykevinjohn) June 24, 2026
For the last several months, mock drafts showed the Kings looking for a point guard, likely going with Acuff. Sacramento needs a rookie they can develop into a starter and leader at the one. Since coughing up both De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, the Kings have been lacking there.
While Acuff does have some defensive issues to work out, he is the on-court leader they need to build around. He has been referred to by some as a generational talent thanks to his incredibly diverse and surprisingly refined skill set. Honestly, that's not even his best quality.
The biggest thing is that Acuff genuinely wants to be in Sacramento. There are, of course, his familial connections to general manager Scott Perry, but there's more to it than that. The Kings will give him time, development, and focus, something not every other team can guarantee. He will shine.
Acuff and Sacramento will fit together like peanut butter and jelly
As the process of deciding who they would use their seventh overall pick on continued, who wasn't the right choice was easy to spot. Brayden Burries reportedly refused to go to Sacramento to work out with the team. Unlike the Jazz, the Kings try not to draft players who don't want to be there.
That's part of what made Acuff so special to the Kings. He showed up for the private work out. He never shied away from his personal connections to the franchise. It honestly seems he appreciated the opportunity to sign on as a cornerstone of a major NBA rebuild process. Hopefully, that's true.
Playing in Sacramento could be a Jalen Brunson-esque opportunity for him. If Acuff is the man to lead the Kings back to the playoffs, if not further, that is a massive deal. Winning a title is one thing. Leading a team to the promised land for the first time in decades is another, as Brunson found out.
The fan base is excited by Acuff joining the team, and he has already reciprocated that love. It's the kind of positive energy the Kings need to power them through what will inevitably be a difficult rebuild process. Having a point guard like Acuff on the team will make it easier.
Add us as a preferred source on Google