The Most Underrated Move the Kings Made This Offseason

The Sacramento Kings have had a relatively busy 2026 offseason, although much quieter than fans were expecting. With veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk still on the roster heading into the 2026-27 season, the Kings have not gotten as crazy as some fans hoped. Still, they have had a productive summer, particularly through the draft.

While all eyes have been on Sacramento's seventh-overall pick, Darius Acuff Jr., especially through the Summer League, they made another addition that not enough people have talked about. With the 45th-overall pick, the Kings selected Emanuel Sharp, and the Houston Cougars product is already making a case to be a day-one contributor in Sacramento.

Emanuel Sharp was one of my favorite “just go get him” guys as a sleeper in the 2026 NBA Draft class

Sequences like this are why.

Kings got a dude who’s going to play in this league for a long time pic.twitter.com/KJ7pBCoXqD
— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) July 4, 2026

Sharp, 22, is already proving to be one of the steals of the 2026 NBA Draft, similar to how the Kings found Maxime Raynaud with the 42nd pick last year, and it should pay off big time for Sacramento.

Why Sharp is such a great addition for the Kings

Not only do the Kings bolster their young core with an instant-impact rookie like Sharp, but he could be a legitimate difference-maker for years to come. He showed exactly what he will bring to the table during the Summer League.

Through five games at the Las Vegas Summer League, Sharp averaged 15.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.8 steals in 24.1 minutes per game, while shooting 38.1% from three-point range. He made an obvious impact offensively as a premier three-point threat and overall smart player, but his real impact comes on the other end.

Sharp is one of the most tenacious guard defenders in his draft class, despite a smaller frame at 6-foot-3, and his defensive ability should translate to the NBA level. He was already giving opposing guards some trouble in the Summer League, and while it will be much more of a challenge to keep up with NBA stars in regular season action, he has the tools to do so.

Emanuel Sharp, probably the biggest positive for the Kings today, somehow gets a steal while falling. pic.twitter.com/9m5HkBjvkI
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) July 14, 2026

The Kings have already committed to Sharp with a three-year standard contract, rather than signing him to a two-way deal, which will certainly pay off in the long run.

How Sharp fits in the Kings' lineup

While it does not take much to be the Kings' best offseason move, although the team re-signing Precious Achiuwa is arguably more impactful, it is hard to understate how excited we should be about finding Sharp in the second round.

Obviously, the 22-year-old rookie fits into Sacramento's rebuild timeline, but he could also be their long-term starter next to Acuff Jr. in their future backcourt.

On paper, Sharp is the perfect backcourt partner for Acuff Jr., and the Kings likely recognize that. Offensively, he helps spread the floor with an impressive three-point shot, but can still handle the ball to help take pressure off the new franchise point guard. Defensively, he makes up for all of Acuff Jr.'s lapses. It is no secret that Acuff Jr. is a negative defender, but having a guy like Sharp, who thrives on that end, next to him could make all the difference.

There is a chance we see Acuff Jr. and Sharp playing together in Sacramento for a long time, and Sacramento finding the Houston product with the 45th pick was likely the franchise's best move of the summer.

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