SACRAMENTO, CA ― The future looks bright for the Sacramento Kings.
Darius Acuff Jr. shined in his first summer league game at the California Classic, a 79-76 win against the Brooklyn Nets at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on July 4.
Acuff had a rough start to the game, going 1-for-8, but he continued to attack downhill. He finished the game going 9-for-29 and scored 25 points and four assists, including the game-winning assist to second-year guard Nique Clifford who knocked down a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left in the game.
“I wasn’t nervous,” Acuff told USA TODAY Sports. “I wouldn’t lie, I’ll tell you if I was nervous. But I actually wasn’t. I thought I was gonna be nervous. I actually wasn’t nervous, I was hyped to play. I got some great sleep. Woke up and a good breakfast. I thought the start I had wasn’t going to happen but you know it happens to the best of us. Nah. I wasn’t nervous. I was more excited to play with those guys, get on the court and play a game again, that was the best part, for sure.”
Something is cooking in Sacramento. It’s not just Acuff, it’s the entire 2026 class including Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp.
Although Karaban won’t play in the California Classic after suffering an ankle sprain during a July 2 practice, Sharp showed why he was one of the steals of the draft.
With the No. 45 pick of the second round, the Kings picked Sharp, a 6-foot-3 guard out of Houston who was slept on. But not by Sacramento, who were searching for a two-way guard. They found him.
Sharp scored 11 points and recorded two steals and a block, as he helped to level the Kings who were down early in their summer league game against the Nets.
“I thought he was the guy who set the tone defensively,” Kings summer league coach Chris Darnell said. “His ability to take a team out of their offense, just with his ability to guard the ball. He’s in his gaps, he’s tough, he’s physical, he’s smart. He does everything you want as a coach on that end of the floor. He just makes winning plays.”
He added: “On the offensive end, we as a team didn’t shoot the ball well today, but he’s aggressive playing close outs and I love that about him. Whether if it’s shot or drive, he’s gonna make the read. There’s no hesitation, there’s no pause. So just that .5 basketball decision-making skill of his, I think is gonna make him a great player in this league when, if he’s playing off-ball with Darius. Darius is going to command so much attention that he gets to play the close out game, he’s going to be tough to guard in those situations.”
From day one, Sharp has been committed to a winning culture.
“It starts with winning, that’s the first goal,” Sharp told USA TODAY Sports in a June 29 interview. “Just seeing, stepping into my role. Getting used to playing with these guys, playing true to my game and getting the chemistry started.”
That’s the attitude of all their rookies. The energy is different around them. They’re embracing the rebuild. They know it starts with them.
“Winning is always number one for me,” Karaban told USA TODAY Sports on June 29. “Just want to go out there and win the California Classic, win in Vegas, get the team chemistry going out there with the different players and just try to identify what I can do to help make an impact on this Kings team.”
Put stock in them early. That’s not an overreaction. Look at their recent draft moves. Obviously, there’s the 2025 draft class that sparked the rebuild with Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell.
Both Clifford and Cardwell, who are in their second season in Sacramento, are on the roster for the California Classic summer league, getting in their reps, while learning tendencies of their new teammates.
Clifford, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer, scored 16 points on 50% field goal shooting. Cardwell had eight points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while providing his usual, crowd-hyping antics.
“I didn’t really have a choice,” said a laughing, Clifford who told USA TODAY Sports why he’s playing in the California Classic. “I didn’t really have much say so.”
On a more serious note, Clifford noted the importance to build his game and connect with new teammates.
“For me, I’m definitely taking advantage of it. It’s good for me to get back on the court, playing with the new guys that I’m going to be playing with all season long and just start to build that chemistry, like I talked about. So, I’m using it to my advantage. For me, I love to play and compete. So it’s helping me elevate my game and work on things that I can be better at going into the season. So it’s exciting. I just love to compete.”
Keep an eye out for the Kings and what’s brewing in California’s capital. The California Classic continues July 5 and 6 at Golden 1 Center for the Kings as they face the Golden State Warriors blue team and Milwaukee Bucks, respectively.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Sacramento Kings reshape rebuild with Darius Acuff Jr. and key draft moves
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