No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr. leads Sacramento's offensive engine into high-stakes showdowns against AJ Dybantsa and Mikel Brown Jr. as the Kings chase their third summer title.
Sacramento Kings fans will have the opportunity to see their No. 7 pick, Darius Acuff Jr., match up against other top-6 rookies during the Las Vegas Summer League.
The NBA released the Summer League schedule for all 30 teams on Friday, and Sacramento's slate is must-see TV. All of the Kings' matchups are hosted at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban (No. 29) and Emanuel Sharp (No. 45) will start their first game against Keaton Wagler (No. 5) and the Los Angeles Clippers on July 9 at 8 p.m. on ESPN. They will face AJ Dybantsa (No. 1) and the Washington Wizards on July 12 at 5 p.m. on Prime.
Sacramento will play against Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6) and the Brooklyn Nets on July 14 at 3 p.m. on Prime. The Kings will end their four-game slate on a back-to-back, going against the Boston Celtics on July 15 at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.
It is a star-studded schedule for the rookie trio, but they will arrive in Las Vegas prepared for action. They will play three games in the California Classic next Saturday, five days before the Las Vegas Summer League kicks off.
Their first matchup is against Brown Jr. and the Nets, which may be the beginning of a rivalry between the sixth and seventh picks. Acuff Jr. and Brown Jr. have met three times in the past seven months.
Arkansas faced off against Louisville on Dec. 3, 2025, and Acuff Jr.'s Razorbacks emerged victorious. However, Brown Jr. had the better performance, scoring 22 points on 7-for-19 shooting.
Sacramento will play against Yaxel Lendeborg and the Golden State Warriors on Day 2 of the California Classic. The team finishes its three-game slate against Nate Ament, Brayden Burries and the Milwaukee Bucks on Day 3.
The Kings, who finished tied for the fourth-worst record last season, are now must-watch basketball in the summer. Fans get to witness the opportunity to see how Acuff Jr. performs at the next level against his draft peers.
Acuff Jr. is taking the same role in Sacramento as he did for Arkansas. He'll become the offensive engine for the Kings, with experienced shooters -- Karaban and Sharp -- around him to provide floor spacing.
Undrafted free agents BJ Edwards and Marquel Sutton are also nice additions to the Summer League roster. Edwards is a three-and-D guard, and Sutton bolsters the trenches with his rebounding.
Sacramento has notoriously had enough talent to win the Summer League. The organization has two championships (2014 and 2021) and one runner-up finish (2025).
Led by their No. 7 pick, the Kings have an opportunity to win their third Summer League championship.
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