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Inside The Kings

Best Fits For the Kings If They Fall Outside of the Top 5

A look at some options for the Sacramento Kings if they get unlucky in the NBA draft lottery.
Eric Sperlazza|
Mar 8, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) gets in a defensive position during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) gets in a defensive position during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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Sacramento Kings

Every week, it feels like we reach a new level of coping with the Sacramento Kings’ draft position. If they’re the worst team in the league, they guarantee a top-5 pick. Okay, no worse than 6th, then 7th, okay…. I guess 8th could be okay? 

 If any of this sounds like your internal monologue over the last week or so, I have just what you need. I’ll get into the best fits if the Kings fall outside the top-5 in the draft, their strengths and weaknesses, and talk about why trying to trade up will likely end up as a fool's errand. Let’s jump in with the best overall fit and go from there. 

Keaton Wagler

Number one on my list for best fits in Sacramento outside of the consensus top-5 is Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler. Wagler is an incredible story, going from a recruit outside ESPN’s SCNEXT 100 rankings to one of the best players in the country and a lock to be a top-10 pick. Luckily for Wagler (and all of us), Brad and Tyler Underwood saw the signs of a great player after he led his Shawnee Mission Northwest team to an undefeated season in Kansas and offered him a spot with the Fighting Illini. 

This season, Wagler has put up 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 45% from the field, 40% from three, and 80% from the line. Wagler is a volume three-point shooter at almost six attempts per game and is extremely comfortable creating shots for himself and others off the dribble. Against Purdue in one of the most hostile away environments in college basketball, Wagler put up 46 points on 9-11 from three to knock off the 4th-ranked Boilermakers. 

Wagler has his flaws, like any prospect, and they really come down to strength and athleticism for him. He's is very slender after a big growth spurt sent him to a reported 6’6” and lacks the explosive ability that we’re often accustomed to with first-round guard prospects. While that isn’t something to disregard, Wagler’s IQ on both ends, shooting ability, and craftiness with the ball in his hands are all things the Kings need in a primary ball-handler. 

Darius Acuff Jr. 

Acuff Jr. is one of the most controversial prospects in college basketball this season, but the numbers are hard to argue with. The latest in the line of John Calipari’s elite recruits might be his best freshman guard ever, and that is not something to be taken lightly. Acuff Jr. is leading the SEC with nearly 23 points a game, 6.5 assists, and shooting splits of 49/45/80 on the season. He is simply one of the most productive players in college basketball, and consistently shows up in the biggest moments. 

In the SEC championship game, Acuff put up 30 points and 11 assists to lead Arkansas over Vanderbilt, but that might not have even been his best game of the year. In a 2OT loss to Alabama, Acuff Jr. hung 49 points on the Crimson Tide while shooting 60% from the field and giving up just one turnover. Acuff has the makings of an offensive engine on the level of Damian Lillard or Jalen Brunson, but he isn’t without his flaws either. 

Acuff Jr. might be one of the worst defenders in this upcoming class, and there have been very few signs of improvement. With either Domantas Sabonis or Max Raynaud manning the 5 spot, having a subpar point of attack defender like Acuff out front could make it impossible for the Kings to have even an average defense. Still, Acuff’s offensive game is as elite as it gets, and the Kings would be foolish to pass up on that level of talent even with the defensive worries. 

Mikel Brown Jr. 

The last player on my list is Mikel Brown Jr. from Louisville, who may have the most potential of all three players mentioned. Brown Jr. was ranked 8th on ESPN’s SCNEXT 100, but had a slow start to the season, and injuries have plagued him for most of the year. Still, Brown is averaging 18 points per game and has his three-point percentage up to near 35% after sitting in the 20s for much of the year.

Teams need to be patient with Brown Jr. and let him work out some kinks in terms of decision making and shot selection, but if he reaches his potential, we may be talking about him in the same breath as some of the best point guard shooters in the league. In a win against NC State, Brown Jr. put up 45 points on 10/16 from three and 61% from the field overall, and added 9 boards. I wouldn’t expect Brown to hit the ground running like Acuff or Wagler, but the potential to be the next franchise guard for Sacramento is definitely there. 

Final Thoughts

The Kings could absolutely use a wing, but beyond AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer, the options are older players who would be better fits on already established teams, or, in the case of Nate Ament, have too many question marks. There has been talk of the Kings trying to trade up if they fall out of the top-5, but giving up what would likely need to be a future, unprotected first-round pick is simply too steep a price when there are still talented players on the board. It would obviously be disappointing to fall out of the top-5, but I believe there is plenty to be excited about with the guys projected 6-10. 

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Eric Sperlazza
ERIC SPERLAZZA

Eric Sperlazza covers the NBA and Sacramento Kings for Sacramento Kings On SI.

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