Deep ties and offensive prowess make Darius Acuff Jr. Sacramento's top target, but a costly trade-up may be unnecessary if the draft board falls in their favor.
Darius Acuff Jr. is arguably the favorite selection for the Sacramento Kings with the seventh overall pick, but waiting that long could be risky, prompting a trade-up scenario.
Matthew Geist, a sports content creator, dropped the third version of his mock draft last Sunday. Sacramento drafted Acuff Jr. with the fifth overall pick, meaning a trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers.
Geist's trade idea sends the Clippers fifth pick to the Kings for the seventh pick and a 2028 first-round swap. Los Angeles selects Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr., which is essentially swapping draft positions to pick the same player.
A reason Sacramento could trade up for the Arkansas guard is to prevent the Brooklyn Nets from drafting him. Although Tennessee forward Nate Ament is gaining steam as the Nets' favored pick, Acuff Jr. will likely remain on the draft board after the fifth pick.
The connections between Acuff Jr. and the Kings date back to the 90s. General manager Scott Perry coached Darius Acuff Sr., Acuff Jr.'s father, at Eastern Kentucky in 1997.
Perry and Acuff Jr. also share the same birthplace, Detroit, Michigan. These similarities have marked the 6-foot-3 guard as the favorite prospect for Sacramento.
Securing the Arkansas product with the fifth pick sounds enticing, but it may not be something the Kings need to do. As the draft date approaches, teams in the lottery are zeroing in on the players to draft.
If Ament is gaining traction as the favorite pick for Brooklyn, then it might be unnecessary to trade up. Brown Jr. cancelled his pre-draft workouts with other teams, only meeting with the Atlanta Hawks and the Clippers.
The competition for Acuff Jr. ahead of Sacramento is focusing on other prospects. It may be more beneficial to stay with the seventh overall pick than trade up, especially when Geist has Los Angeles selecting Brown Jr.
Acuff Jr. is an offensive powerhouse, blending scoring and playmaking to leave his impact on the game. He averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists on 48.4/44/80.9 shooting splits at Arkansas.
The 6-foot-3 guard can score at all three levels, using his dribble moves to create enough space for a jumpshot or a tough layup at the rim. He fights through contact to get to his spots, resulting in a high free-throw rate.
Sacramento has become "enamored" with Acuff Jr., which could be why Geist has the Kings trading up for him. Acuff Jr. would become the team's next lead guard, even while Zach LaVine is on the roster.
The Arkansas product is Sacramento's favorite prospect to draft, but trading up two spots for him may be an overreaction.
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