Every Kings Debut to Watch for in Preseason Opener vs. Lakers

We will finally get real Sacramento Kings basketball for the first time in six months on Monday night. The Kings are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers in Sacramento's Golden 1 Center on Monday, giving the home fans a taste of what this new-look team might have in store this season.

While it is just preseason action, that does not mean we cannot be excited to see some of these new Kings touch the floor for the first time. Let's take a look at every Kings player making their unofficial debut on Monday night and what to watch for with each of them:

Darius Acuff Jr.

Of course, the fans at Golden 1 Center will see the seventh-overall pick of this year's draft make his unofficial NBA debut. While we saw him a bit in Summer League, Monday night's preseason contest against the Lakers will be a much better test for the 19-year-old point guard.

The Kings are setting high expectations for their new star rookie, with hopes that he can become the face of the franchise and help bring them out of misery, but that journey starts on Monday night.

Acuff Jr. might be feeling some pressure to perform, and making his unofficial debut against Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and the big-market Lakers likely does not help. However, he has made it clear this offseason that the pressure does not faze him. It would be great to see Acuff Jr. put on a show in the preseason opener to show Kings fans what's in store for the long-term future.

Ben Simmons

After taking a year off from the NBA last season, Ben Simmons is gearing up to feel game action for the first time since April 2025. The former first-overall pick is on a personal path to prove all of his doubters wrong, and he can start by showing the rest of the league what they're missing on Monday.

We all know what Simmons is capable of. When healthy, he is one of the most versatile point guards the league has ever seen. At 6'10" with elite playmaking skills and high-level defensive instincts, Simmons is a premier talent. The bigger question is whether he can return to his star-caliber form in Sacramento this season.

He might use Monday's preseason game to shake some rust off, so we should keep our expectations realistic. Still, we are excited to see what he can do.

Alex Karaban

After taking Acuff Jr. with the seventh pick, the Kings traded for another first-rounder to select Alex Karaban at No. 29. The two-time national champion with the UConn Huskies has all the intangibles that the Kings were looking for, but we are intrigued to see how he actually makes an on-court impact.

The 23-year-old forward has an interesting game as a 6'7" sharpshooter who can play defense with an extremely high basketball IQ and valuable leadership, but there are questions about how his game will translate to the NBA level.

We will get a much better idea of what we are getting with Karaban on Monday night against the Lakers.

Emanuel Sharp

With their lone second-round selection, the Kings took Emanuel Sharp, and unlike Karaban, we are confident that he will be able to make an on-court impact at the NBA level. At the collegiate level, he proved to be an elite sharpshooter and defender, and his 3-and-D playstyle should be a seamless fit in Sacramento.

It might be an uphill climb for Sharp to earn minutes in the Kings' lineup, especially with their loaded backcourt group, but he undoubtedly has the talent to be a real difference-maker for this team.

It would be great for Sharp to prove himself more on Monday night and hopefully get one step closer to earning a spot in the Kings' rotation.

Jonathan Mogbo

While it has flown under the radar, signing Jonathan Mogbo to a two-way contract was one of Sacramento's best moves of the offseason. The 24-year-old forward proved to be a valuable player with the Toronto Raptors as a rookie before phasing out of their rotation last season, and now he should be able to make an impact in Sacramento, even on a two-way deal.

The Kings' forward group is arguably their weakest position, so we should see Mogbo get his fair share of opportunities this season. With his defensive versatility, length, athleticism, rebounding, and passing, Mogbo has the tools to ultimately earn a standard contract in Sacramento.

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