NBA insiders determined that Kings' rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. is one of the biggest steals from this year's draft class. Will he make a push for Rookie of the Year?
The Sacramento Kings have found their presumed point guard of the future, drafting reigning SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 overall pick in this past year's draft.
Since that time, Acuff has affirmed the front office's belief in him, showing flashes of offensive explosiveness and talking to the media about winning being his No. 1 priority.
On Tuesday, ESPN's NBA Insiders released their rookie rankings for various categories, with Acuff being voted as one of the steals of the draft.
Trailing Milwaukee Bucks guard Brayden Burries (No. 10 pick) and Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 pick), Acuff commanded two votes from the insiders.
Heading into the draft, the top-4 picks were pretty cemented, with Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and Acuff being seen as the next group of guards to be picked from.
Of course, Acuff ended up going behind Wagler and Brown, but landed with the franchise who showed the most trust and belief that he was their guy.
Since that time, Acuff participated in the 2026 NBA Summer League, where he showed flashes of what made him so special during his time at Arkansas.
Spotrac's Keith Smith spent 11 days in Las Vegas for the Summer League gathering intel on some of the teams in attendance, and noted some of the biggest stories about Sacramento - one being the confidence the Kings' brass has in their top selection.
"Beyond excited doesn’t even begin to convey how we feel about Darius. He’s out to prove everyone wrong who passed on him. We’re the ones who will benefit from that," a Kings front office executive said. "Beyond that stuff, Darius is an outstanding scorer and playmaker. He’s already taking on a leadership role. He’s a true franchise guy that we can build around."
Acuff can definitely fill up the stat sheet, having averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game in his lone year in college.
But, his intangibles and self-confidence have been something that has stuck out since arriving in Sac Town, as he has frequently talked about wanting to be one of the best to do it while writing his own legacy.
KingsRoundtable's Demetrius Montero recently reported that Sactown Sports radio host Carmichael Dave predicts Acuff to score 17-18 points right away, using 2021-22 Jalen Brunson as a measuring stick for the reigning SEC Player of the Year.
During that year, Brunson averaged 16.3 points per game, and is a similar player, but Acuff is focused on carving out his own path.
"It's great others want to compare me to great players like that, but I compare myself to who I was the game before and try to improve every time I set foot on the court..." Acuff told ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel. "I want to write my own story and my own greatness."
While Brunson has certainly developed into one of the most dynamic guards in the NBA, Acuff's natural ability and athleticism gives him a leg up on most shorter guards.
If Sacramento can win enough games this upcoming season, expect Acuff to be in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.
