While there was some hope that the Sacramento Kings might be able to draft one of Darius Acuff Jr.'s Arkansas running buddies, they did well be grabbing Emanuel Sharp at 45. Now, the Kings will have to work out how he fits into this rebuild roster, and if he's G League bound for the 2026-2027 season.
On the eve of the draft, the Kings had one first-round pick as well as a pair in the second-round. It was a good hand given the depth of talent in this year's draft class. It ran all the way through all 60 picks, not to mention some incredible options who went undrafted. There are many more moves coming.
Scott Perry did manage to throw a bit of a curveball on night one, though. It wasn't with the seventh pick as the Kings stuck to the plan and selected Acuff. This will hopefully pay off well for them. No, Perry made a trade with the Cavs that got a second first-round pick to secure Alex Karaban.
Both were smart draft picks, but the move on Karaban cost the Kings one of their two second-rounders. This left them with pick 45, which they used to select Sharp. Given the players left at that point in the draft, he was a very savvy choice on the part of the Kings.
Sharp is the 3&D shooter the Kings need
If there's one thing Sharp does well, it's shoot the three. During the course of his four years with the Houston Cougars, he broke the team's all-time career three-point shooting recording by making 309 of them. The Kings have definitely been looking for a reliable guy to man the three-point line.
Adding to that is his reputation as a tough-as-nails defender. At 6'3" and 208 pounds, he's a little undersized for a shooting guard, particularly in defensive situations. But Sharp makes up for that with strength, tenacity, and outright aggression. He regularly takes on larger opponents with zero fear.
The key factor that makes Sharp such a good choice for the Kings is how relentless he is. You put him on the floor with a job to do, and he gets it done. And he just keeps going. This is someone who will give Sacramento a full 48 without losing a step. It's a winning mentality.
A 22-year-old with four years of collegiate experience, Sharp is already a well-seasoned player. Still, the Kings will likely give him a few reps in the G League to help get him up to NBA speed. That won't take long, so expect to see Sharp on the main roster sooner rather than later this season.
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