The past five NBA drafts have witnessed the Sacramento Kings draft none other than four point guards.
In 2024, the Kings inexplicably drafted an injured Devin Carter, who managed to play a staccato half-season that never allowed Sacramento to see who they had really drafted.
At the time of the 2024 draft, the Kings were in sore need of frontcourt help to support Domantas Sabonis and already had perhaps the best backup point guard in the NBA in Davion Mitchell.
The Kings had De’Aaron Fox coming off an All-Star year and only getting better year over year, leading the team at the point guard position, so imagine the collective surprise of Sacramento fans when the Kings drafted another point guard.
When Fox went down with a hand injury during Mitchell’s rookie year, Davion not only assumed 38 minutes of work per game but scored 18.6 points per game while adding an eye-popping 8.9 assists.
But regardless of what Mitchell accomplished at either end of the floor, the Sacramento Kings never bought into this 6-foot player who had a history of winning, coming off an NCAA championship with Baylor and winning the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. That garnered him the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Kings, but the question remains: If you drafted this already accomplished point guard, why didn’t you use him effectively?
In perhaps one of the worst NBA trades ever, Davion Mitchell was traded along with Sasha Vezenkov and a second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors on June 28, 2024, for Jalen McDaniels. Standing at 6-foot-9, Jalen was acquired to shore up the front line but never survived the preseason, playing in only two games. Today, Jalen is playing for the Kobe Storks of Japan’s B.League.
Mitchell went on to start for the Toronto Raptors and is currently the starting point guard for the Miami Heat.
If this walk down memory lane leaves you gaping in wonder, you’re not alone. Judging talent has been perhaps the No. 1 weakness of the Sacramento franchise, and the real question now that the Kings have hired a new general manager in Scott Perry is: Is it going to change?
The Kings were not finished drafting point guards and drafted Nique Clifford with the 24th overall pick. Last season, Nique posted 8.6 points per game with 3.8 rebounds and a tepid 2.4 assists while playing 25 minutes per game. Whether used as a point guard or at the No. 2 position, Sacramento has lauded his virtues, but fans are still waiting to see something to go with that.
Finally, welcome Darius Acuff Jr., who by all accounts appears to be the genuine article.
If I have one concern, it would be his age of only 19 and the fact that Sacramento seems bent on starting this young player from the get-go.
Having a capable veteran player to introduce Acuff to the position of NBA point guard would be my desire, and not pursuing Russell Westbrook as soon as the season concluded was a big mistake. Westbrook, a sure-fire Hall of Famer, certainly felt a level of disrespect by not being courted after having a stellar 2024-25 season for the Kings and is exactly what the team needs to give young Acuff some breathing room.
If not Westbrook, is there someone who could fill the order and give Acuff the feeling that training wheels are in place as he learns the position?
Finally, can the Sacramento Kings put the point guard position in the done column? I certainly hope so, and Darius has my full support.
Someone flying under the radar but who needs attention is the 45th overall pick, Emanuel Sharp. Sharp was by far the most impressive player in this year’s draft for the Kings and played both ends of the court like a veteran in Summer League.
I hope the Kings organization is already using its imagination as to how it can get this young rookie 20-plus minutes per game because I believe Sacramento has stumbled onto a diamond in the rough!
Stay tuned, Kings fans, because the starting lineup is not yet set.
Let’s see what a healthy Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Keegan Murray can achieve with these young rookies!
V.G. Harris
Vince Harris is an area resident and the author of Kings Corner, in which he contributes to Folsom Times, giving readers a look at the happenings on the court and behind the scenes of the Sacramento Kings.
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