According to ESPN's projected depth chart for the Sacramento Kings, rookie Alex Karaban will be their third-string small forward and their fifth-string power forward. But sliding him up the depth chart would give him a chance to develop faster and build connections with other rookies and sophomores.
During the 2026 NBA Draft, general manager Scott Perry worked to make sure the Kings got Karaban. He traded picks with the Cavaliers, which allowed Sacramento to select Karaban near the end of the first round. Perry wasn't willing to risk waiting until the second round to see if they would get him.
A legit combo forward, Karaban was a big part of the UConn Huskies winning back-to-back NCAA Championships. He can operate as a floor-spacing stretch four, but can easily shift to a small forward offensively thanks to his elite three-point shooting and excellent connective passing skills.
Naturally, he won't be first in line for minutes as a rookie on the Kings. At the same time, rookies Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell did quite well last season with all the time they got due to team injuries. It might behoove the Kings to take a chance on Karaban and get him on the court.
Karaban could be big for the Kings
In ESPN's projected depth chart, Nique Clifford is currently the secondary for both shooting guard and small forward. That makes sense as the Kings want to push his development forward, and get him further down the path of being the elite 3&D player everyone knows he has the potential to be.
At the same time, Karaban and Clifford could switch spots at small forward. That would make Karaban the second-string and Clifford the third-string. It would potentially put Karaban and Clifford out on the same line more, which could work out well given their complementary skill sets.
Additionally, it makes no sense to have De'Andre Hunter slotted in as the third-string power forward when he's already going to be the starting small forward. Moving Karaban from fifth to third behind Keegan Murray and Precious Achiuwa would give him a better chance at finding minutes.
Karaban is a seasoned player with four college seasons and two national titles under his belt. He impressed in the 2026 Summer League, and will do so again when the regular season starts. Now is not the time for the Kings to be too careful. Put Karaban on the court and let him go to work,
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