After their second successful draft in a row, the Sacramento Kings have signed all three players to long-term contracts. This signifies that the Kings are serious about their development as well as their place in this rebuild process. Now, the Kings just have to put them to work, which has already begun.
Scott Perry drafted incredibly well in 2025, leading fans to hope for a successful sequel in 2026. They were not disappointed. The Kings picked up Darius Acuff Jr. and Alex Karaban in the first round, while they also added Emanuel Sharp in the second. It was solid across the board.
Now, Sacramento has gotten all three of them under contract. Both Acuff and Karaban have been signed to standard four-year rookie scale contracts, as expected. Sharp has been given a three-year contract under the second-round exception that makes allowances for that. Three good calls.
All three players need to be on the main roster to develop, a lesson the Kings learned last season with Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell. Getting this season's rookies in a rhythm with their sophomore squad is incredibly important to the rebuild, not to mention any future moves.
The Kings have to get these rookies rolling now
Sacramento isn't done making additions. They currently have one spot open on their main roster, while all three two-way contracts are in use. The Kings are unlikely to trade Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis this summer, but DeMar DeRozan will leave at some point, opening up a second spot.
That means more new additions to the roster are coming. Sacramento is going to need their rookies, particularly Acuff, up to NBA speed as soon as possible. He's likely their starting point guard this season, so there's no time to waste. Acuff will be expected to be a leader on this team.
The same is true for both Karaban and Sharp. They need to learn by doing, and that means going full speed in the NBA. To be clear, this isn't a suggestion that these three rookies need to be perfect NBA players on day one, just that getting them on that path and down it quickly has to be a priority.
Sacramento's roster has changed a lot over the past year, but those players have to be put to good use. That's a big part of where the Kings have fallen down in the past. Getting these rookies under regular NBA contracts and on the court in Golden 1 Center is how they avoid those mistakes.
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