So far, the only rookie or sophomore who has played in both of the first two California Classic games was Emanuel Sharp. And he's doing really well. Like Maxime Raynaud last season, Sharp is shaping up to be another second-round draft steal for the Kings. He is going to play a big part in the rebuild.
While it seems like a lifetime ago at this point, it has been just over a year since the Kings picked Raynaud up in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Sacramento got him 42nd overall, which seemed like a relatively sensible spot for him to get selected at the time.
Now, it seems insane. Raynaud was one of the top rookies in 2025-2026, regularly appearing in the top five on the Kia Rookie Ladder. He was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March 2026 and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He had a great season.
History may be repeating itself already. In the 2026 NBA Draft, the Kings selected Sharp with the 45th overall pick. Based on his performance in the California Classic so far, Sacramento might be looking at another breakout star emerging from the second round of the draft two years in a row.
Emanuel Sharp put the Kings on his back when they needed him
Sacramento's first matchup saw them defeat the Nets. It was a narrow victory thanks to a late three from Nique Clifford. Sharp's game one performance was solid, with him starting for the Kings as a power forward and collecting 13 points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block.
The second game was against the Warriors' Blue team. This time, Sharp was the starting shooting guard as the team was short several key players. He performed even better, picking up 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. The guy is everywhere on the court.
Two games into the California Classic, and Sharp is already showing how great a pick he was by the Kings. No one is going to start calling him the steal of the draft quite yet, being that it's only Summer League season. But if he keeps going like this in the regular season, he's in the conversation.
Once again, Scott Perry has drafted incredibly well. Sharp is already exceeding expectations and proving his versatility to the team. When the Kings were down against the Warriors Blue squad, Sharp was one of the guys who stepped up and led Sacramento to another big win.
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