Explosive rookie Darius Acuff Jr. brings scoring punch to Sacramento, but roster uncertainty and a bottom-tier power ranking suggest a challenging road ahead for the rebuilding franchise.
Throughout the offseason, the Sacramento Kings' players, coaching staff, and front office have all emphasized the importance of building a winning culture and establishing a culture.
While the Kings didn't make any huge moves in free agency, at least thus far, the team has added depth and offensive firepower through the draft, starting with No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr.
On Friday, a collection of staff at The Score named Acuff the Kings' best addition of the offseason, while suggesting the front office continues to shop some of the team's veteran contracts.
"The seventh overall pick needs to be afforded some time to develop into a potential cornerstone of the Kings' future. Sacramento should prioritize Acuff's growth and continue the roster teardown by finding exits for Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, even if the window to secure a top-end return has closed."
Acuff has looked the part throughout the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, showing off the offensive explosiveness that helped him lead the SEC in scoring and assists.
Efficiency has been a bit of an issue, but the Summer League is the perfect opportunity for Acuff to work through his mistakes and adapt to the speed of the next level.
However, despite the addition of Acuff and the other rookies in Sacramento's class, The Score does not believe it will be a quick turnaround, with the Kings ranking dead-last in updated power rankings.
While it may be a slow burn at first, the Kings definitely have the talent and mix of youth/veteran presences to make big improvements this upcoming season, especially with Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine more healthy.
LaVine and Sabonis played just 58 games combined last season, headlining the list of players who missed significant time last season.
Both players, like Acuff, are offensive-minded and should benefit from the reigning SEC Player of the Year's playmaking abilities.
Sabonis and Acuff will be lethal in the pick-and-roll, as Sabonis is very willing to make the extra pass out of the short roll and has the ability to score on the inside.
The development of Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford will also be crucial to Sacramento's depth, as both second-year players enjoyed solid rookie seasons.
Raynaud, who was the lone non-lottery pick to make an All-Rookie team last season, will rejoin the Summer League roster in the coming days as he returns from the French National Team's FIBA qualifiers.
It may be early to predict profound success from this Kings unit, but the No. 30 ranking is a touch too low.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join, simply by clicking the yellow button at the top of the homepage. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
