Three Things the Kings Still Need to Become a Contender

Sacramento Kings GM Scott Perry has made it clear that the franchise is in the early stages of a rebuild. Since taking the job, he knew it would be an uphill climb to get the Kings back to relevancy, saying it would take at least a few years to get there. Now, the Kings are already one step closer.

The Kings had a great 2026 NBA Draft that should undoubtedly fuel their rebuild. Their incoming rookie class of Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban, and Emanuel Sharp should help, but they still need a few things until they can actually become a contender.

Darius Acuff Jr.'s leap into stardom

NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets Darius Acuff Jr. — Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the seventh pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. after he was selected by the Sacramento Kings at Barclays Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kings added their new franchise point guard with the seventh overall pick in this year's draft, and they desperately need him to pan out. Despite some major defensive concerns, Acuff Jr. has the tools to be an offensive star.

While his 29-shot Summer League debut has already scared some fans, there is no need to worry. Giving Acuff Jr. some time to get comfortable at this level will pan out in the long run, as he has the scoring and playmaking tools to actually help revitalize Sacramento's offense.

No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. had a game-high 25 points in his California Classic debut🌴

Sacramento defeats Brooklyn! pic.twitter.com/jle9sbGz3a
— NBA (@NBA) July 5, 2026

In a few years, we could be considering Acuff Jr. one of the best point guards in the league, and if he can actually get to that level, the Kings would have a much greater chance of competing in the playoffs. Granted, there are a handful of star point guards around the league who are not on winning teams, but we can hope Acuff Jr. does enough to take the Kings to the next level.

Development of the supporting cast

Sure, we can hope that Acuff Jr. ascends into the star the Kings need him to be, but he cannot do everything alone. The Kings will need their supporting cast to develop alongside Acuff Jr. to be a serious team.

Notably, we should be eyeing the development of Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford, Alex Karaban, and Emanuel Sharp. If the Kings can build a core around that group of players, they should be in a good spot in a few years, as long as they all develop accordingly.

NIQUE CLIFFORD FOR THE WIN 😱

Sacramento defeats Brooklyn, 79-76 in California Classic play! pic.twitter.com/T3ad2TRkEd
— NBA (@NBA) July 4, 2026

On that note, someone like Murray, Clifford, or Raynaud might have the potential to grow into a co-star alongside Acuff Jr. to help build an actual contender. Regardless of who actually rises to stardom for Sacramento, it is obvious that the team will need a good supporting cast to be competitive. While the Kings have struggled with development at times, they need to lean into the growth of their current roster to truly turn things around.

A miracle

Let's face it: the Kings haven't been a contender in over 20 years. There have been a few different groups of players that fans have hoped would be able to finally turn things around, yet here we are with a completely revamped roster once again.

For all we know, the Kings could go another 20 years without being a real contender. However, we can certainly be more optimistic than that. There should be hope around the franchise right now with an improving young core and a general manager who knows what he is doing.

It might even take some luck in the draft lottery over the next couple of years to get there, but we should see the Kings at least improve from where they stood in their 60-loss 2025-26 campaign.

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