NBA legends and analysts are buzzing after Sacramento landed the SEC Player of the Year, praising the explosive guard's potential to redefine the franchise’s culture and backcourt.
In the week following the 2026 NBA Draft, the sports media world has been extremely positive about the Sacramento Kings landing Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 overall pick.
As the pre-draft process winded down, it became more apparent that Acuff was Sacramento's top choice, and sure enough, General Manager Scott Perry cashed in.
Since then, nearly all the talk about Acuff's fit with the franchise has been praised, starting with Kendrick Perkins on air at the draft.
After showing various highlights from Acuff's SEC Player of the Year season, Perkins said "I've got to remind the world, why this man, to me, is the best point guard in this year's draft."
Of course, this wasn't the thought process for the Los Angeles Clippers or Brooklyn Nets, who opted for Illinois' Keaton Wagler and Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. at picks No. 5 and 6, but Acuff had certainly put himself in the discussion to be the first guard taken.
On the night of the draft, two more NBA veterans commented on Acuff landing in Sac Town, with Jeff Teague saying he "loves Darius Acuff with the Kings."
Teague had been critical of Acuff leading up to the draft, but said that Sacramento should give him the reigns to make mistakes and grow.
Meanwhile, on Bleacher Report's live draft show, 4-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins said that he "absolutely" would be grinning ear to ear as a member of the Kings' front office, saying that "he's a huge fan" of Acuff.
"As far as righting the ship, setting a culture, I think he's a great culture starter for the Kings," Cousins added.
Acuff's willingness to play in Sacramento is another positive being highlighted post-draft, as he told media "I wanted to be a King, for sure... this is definitely my best destination. I'm excited to be here."
As far as setting a winning culture goes, that was Acuff's main point during his introductory presser.
"More than anything I want to win," Acuff said. "I think we are all here to win. That's what we want to do."
Improving on last year's standing should not be too difficult, as the Kings won just 22 games, finishing tied for last in the Western Conference.
However, Acuff and multiple local members of media have much higher hopes than increased regular season win totals.
Former Kings head coach Jerry Reynolds made perhaps the boldest claim about the Kings' new lead guard, saying that he'd "be surprised if he’s not the best guard to ever play in Sacramento."
Reynolds went on to compare Acuff's game to a young Kyrie Irving, noting his ability to finish at the basket, and sneaky strength for his size.
With all of this pressure on Acuff, he was asked about what these early praises mean for him, once again staying cool and collected.
"I don’t feel pressure," Acuff said. "It’s just basketball."
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