What Does Latest Mikel Brown Intel Mean For Kings?

With the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft just two weeks away, teams are beginning to single out certain prospects within the lottery.

For the Sacramento Kings, one of the backcourt prospects like Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr., Houston's Kingston Flemings, or Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. have been the popular choices for the No. 7 overall selection.

But, on Monday, Brown's camp shut down any further scheduling for pre-draft workouts, which usually hints towards a draft promise being made.

For Sacramento, who hasn't been heavily linked to Brown, this is good news, as the Los Angeles Clippers, who have the No. 5 pick, are likely the team zeroing in on the Louisville freshman.

Previously, reports had circulated that teams ahead of Sacramento may leverage their positioning to force the Kings' front office into trading up for their top guard on the board.

But, if the Clippers or the Brooklyn Nets (No. 6 overall) feel confident enough to give Brown the green light, the Kings may be set at seven.

According to ClutchPoints NBA reporter Brett Siegel, the Clippers and Atlanta Hawks are the two teams set to meet with Brown, while the Nets have sat in on multiple of his recent workouts.

For Sacramento, who picks prior to Atlanta, this is a good sign, as teams may not be able to strong arm them into trading up.

Siegel also mentioned that Acuff, the Kings' presumed top target, has not been brought up in conjunction with Los Angeles very often.

Last week, Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor released his latest mock draft, with Sacramento getting the "coveted" Acuff.

In late May, reports surfaced that the Kings front office was "enamored" with the reigning SEC Player of the Year, noting that Sacramento’s general manager, Scott Perry, coached Darius Acuff Sr. at Eastern Kentucky.

Acuff has the scoring ability and mindset to help turn around Sacramento, coming off o f a stellar SEC Player of the Year campaign.

"Definitely a superstar point guard," Acuff said about his future following a strong combine performance. "I'll bring a lot of excitement to any city I go."

Despite the Clippers showing minimal interest in Acuff, they still have him scheduled for a workout alongside other top-rated guard prospects like Flemings, and Illinois' Keaton Wagler this week.

While we truly won't know who Los Angeles prefers until draft night, these recent developments should benefit the Kings' front office in terms of comfortability.

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