Best and Worst-Case NBA Draft Scenarios for the Kings

The 2026 NBA Draft is nearly here, and the Sacramento Kings are sitting in a position to help the future of their franchise. While falling to the seventh overall pick in the lottery was unfortunate, they should be able to walk out of draft night with a win.

There is certainly a scenario where the Kings' draft night plays out to perfection, but things could take a turn for the worse with other teams controlling their fate. Here is a look at the best and worst-case scenarios for Sacramento's draft night.

Best-case scenario

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) and guard Nimari Burnett (4) celebrate after their win against the UConn Huskies in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With the Kings expected to have their eyes set on Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick, it is no secret that they will need to surround him with better defenders to be a successful team. However, they could do just that on draft night.

In the Kings' dream draft scenario, they select Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick, and then trade back into the first round to take Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. Of course, this seems like a long shot, but the Kings have reportedly shown interest in trading for another first-rounder, and someone like Johnson Jr. is undoubtedly on their radar in those talks.

If the Kings walked out of draft night with a duo of Acuff Jr. and Johnson Jr., it would immediately become one of the best drafts in franchise history. Even if it is not Johnson Jr., the Kings could look to trade for a pick high enough to get Yaxel Lendeborg, Allen Graves, Dailyn Swain, or Cameron Carr. If there is any scenario where they can walk out of the first round of the draft with a promising rookie duo, it would be great.

Of course, the tricky part is actually acquiring another first-rounder, but as Domantas Sabonis trade talks heat up, we could potentially see a deal get done.

Worst-case scenario

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. tries to drive past Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings — Dec 20, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) tries to drive past Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) during the first half at Prudential Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Since the draft lottery, it has been no secret that the Kings are eyeing Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick. For a while, there was plenty of uncertainty that he would even be available for the Kings, but those concerns have melted recently. The expectation is that Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. will be the fifth and sixth picks, in either order, meaning Acuff Jr. should be available for the Kings.

However, after the Milwaukee Bucks traded away Giannis and acquired the 13th overall pick in Tuesday's draft, there is a new fear that they could trade up and snag Acuff Jr. before the Kings can. Acuff Jr. worked out with Milwaukee recently, and now Bucks insider Gery Woelfel has reported that the team is still interested in the Razorbacks product ahead of the draft.

The Bucks have shown keen interest in Darius Acuff Jr., per @GeryWoelfel pic.twitter.com/vR9EkKrGDt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 23, 2026

The Bucks could potentially strike a deal for the L.A. Clippers' fifth pick or the Brooklyn Nets' sixth pick to leapfrog the Kings and get Acuff Jr., which would ruin the plan Sacramento has had in place for the past month.

However, missing out on Acuff Jr. would not be the end of the world for Sacramento. If Acuff Jr. goes off the board at No. 5 or No. 6, the Kings would still have their pick of at least two of the following prospects: Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., or Kingston Flemings.

Really, the Kings are in a great position regardless, as they will have no trouble finding their new star point guard. Still, though, the franchise is clearly very high on Acuff Jr., and fans should want the Kings to land the prospect who they are ready to fully commit to.

Follow us on Facebook and X for the latest Sacramento Kings news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google