As the 2026 NBA Draft gets closer, the rumors are flying as fast and furious as Dominic Toretto behind the wheel of a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. A major one has the Sacramento Kings seriously looking at drafting Darius Acuff Jr., an unexpected but incredibly intriguing choice for the rebuild.
"I can tell you what I've been told, and that's that Darius Acuff has some fans in the Kings organization and, from what I understand, is pretty darn high on their draft board."@MattGeorgeSAC says he is hearing that the Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been catching the eye… pic.twitter.com/f12ayQy4oO
— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) March 23, 2026
Going into the final stretch of the season, it seemed apparent that the Kings would remain the worst team in the league. One of the few upsides is that being the worst gives a franchise the best odds at getting a high lottery draft pick. That's assuming said team stays in the bottom three.
In typical Kings' fashion, they have a better record down the stretch than they do the rest of the regular season. They've been bouncing between being the third and fourth worst team in the league for a couple of weeks. It's a difference between a 14% chance at the first pick and 12.5%.
As always, it's important to keep in mind that being dead last guarantees nothing. A team could be the worst in the league and still end up choosing seventh. In the end, the actual pick doesn't matter as much as the choices made with it, as the Kings found in last year's second round.
Going with Ronald Acuff Jr. is a bold, but smart, move
The most recent edition of FanSided's 2026 NBA Mock Draft has the Kings choosing fourth and going with North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. He would be an excellent choice, but the rumor mill has suggested that Sacramento may have their eyes on a completely different player.
That very same mock draft has the Brooklyn Nets selecting Acuff sixth overall. Yet, reports indicate that the Kings have a lot of interest in the same player. If the order plays out as the mock draft suggests, Sacramento would likely have the option to choose between him and Wilson.
Sacramento is in need of a young point guard to develop in the rebuild, and Acuff is certainly that. He's an accomplished off-ball shooter with impressive leadership qualities for his experience level and an underrated crunch-time player. He would be a good addition to the roster.
To be frank, Acuff and Wilson are both good choices for the Kings. How they pick will, in part, be determined by what lottery spot they receive. The 2026 Draft Lottery is coming up on May 10th, so they'll know soon enough how that situation will play out.