As the 2026 NBA Draft got closer and closer, the general consensus seemed to be that the Sacramento Kings would use the seventh pick to select Darius Acuff Jr. Though some incredible writers thought they should have gone with Yaxel Lendeborg, Acuff was likely the right choice.
The Kings were desperately in need to a starting point guard, something they struggled with all through the 2025-2026 season. Their problem is that minimal salary cap room below the first apron severely limits their options. Signing an established point guard in free agency is difficult.
As such, the smart move was to draft a point guard, and that's exactly what the Kings did. Acuff was their primary target. Successfully drafting him remains a huge step forward for Sacramento. That doesn't mean the job is done, or that there aren't a lot of questions still to be answered.
Who will be Acuff's backup point guard?
Sacramento is loaded to the gills with shooting guards, but their only point guard is Acuff. Malik Monk and Adam Flagler can cover for him for short runs during games to give him breaks. The problem is that the one isn't the primary position for either player, and they are not court generals.
There are more than a few solid point guards currently floating around in free agency who could take the role on. The vast majority of them will be eligible for veteran minimum contracts, which means Sacramento can actually afford them. Now, the front office just has to find the right one.
In this case, that means an established point guard willing to be the secondary for a veteran minimum contract. As the old saying goes, beggars can't be choosers, so the Kings need someone willing to take that on to secure a spot in the league.
Who will be Acuff's mentor?
The Kings tried to answer both the first and second question by re-signing the legendary Russell Westbrook. He chose retirement, likely because he didn't want to come off the bench and be a secondary to a rookie. Honestly, Brodie probably had a point about that.
Sacramento is also currently talking to Victor Oladipo, who is trying to return to the NBA. While he could teach Acuff a lot about defense, Oladipo is not a point guard. Acuff is going to need someone with career experience as a PG in the NBA to help him realize his full potential.
After stretching DeMar DeRozan's remaining contract, the Kings have the salary cap to sign Oladipo and a more experienced PG. They'll both have to be on veteran minimums to make that work, but it could be a solid opportunity for someone looking for their next chapter.
What is the plan for developing him?
To be fair, the Kings do have an actual development strategy for Acuff. The problem is that it's a terrible plan that has a lot of potential to end in disaster for both the player and the team. Essentially, the Kings are intent on feeding him to the wolves and seeing if he survives.
That doesn't meant they're not going to work with him heavily through training camp to get him up to speed. It's just that they're taking a sink or swim approach to his success in the league. Given this franchise's tumultuous history with developing point guards, one would think they'd try harder.
Frankly, this sounds like the mentality of a coaching staff that has no idea how to properly develop a point guard. It really comes across like they're telling Acuff to figure it out for himself, which he's hopefully a strong enough player to pull off.
What happens if Acuff gets injured?
Acuff is a healthy 19-year-old, so no one is expecting a season-ending injury. That being said, crazier things have happened. If the Kings don't have a real backup for him, Acuff will play a lot of minutes and that could easily wear him down over the season. Their sink or swim mentality will make it worse.
If the Kings go into the season without a proper point guard in their secondary, an injury to Acuff will turn this whole season into a write-off. It's not like the Kings were making the playoffs or anything, but Acuff is a key piece of the overall development strategy. Losing him to injury would be a nightmare.
Sacramento did try to fix these issues with Westbrook, but that obviously didn't work out. The Kings have to go back to the drawing board, if they haven't already, and find someone else. Acuff's success in Sactown hinges on them building the right support system around him.
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