Why the Kings are Keeping Darius Acuff Jr. Untouchable in Trade Talks

The Sacramento Kings already made one trade this season by sending Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and we can assume they are far from done. Just 11 games into the season, the Kings have already made some changes, so by the time we get to February's trade deadline, we can imagine this team might look much different.

Veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and De'Andre Hunter are all expected to be trade candidates for the Kings this season, but with all this noise, they have one obvious untouchable. NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic reports that the Kings are willing to discuss trades for every player on the roster except star rookie Darius Acuff Jr.

"Speaking of teams that are open for business, team sources say the Kings (1-10) are willing to discuss anyone not named Darius Acuff Jr.," Amick reported. "With their prized rookie on a historic pace, averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds, this should come as no surprise. The internal excitement over his start has the Kings, quite naturally, pondering ways to speed up their roster reconstruction with the hopes of building around him."

Nov 10, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) looks on during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Acuff Jr. is already the most exciting player to put on a Kings uniform in years, and he is only 11 games into his NBA career. Sure, the franchise has had some good players come through, but Acuff Jr. is offering hope that he could be the key to turning things around in Sacramento.

Acuff Jr. is an obvious untouchable

The Kings just spent the seventh-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Acuff Jr., and the 19-year-old point guard is proving to be one of the league's top rookies. In 11 games, he has averaged 26.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Sure, the Kings are just 1-10, but Acuff Jr. is doing everything he can to keep this team from imploding.

Acuff Jr. is proving to be one of the top rookies in Kings history, and at this pace, he could ultimately become an all-time great for this franchise. Of course, we have to expect the unexpected with this franchise, as they have made some questionable decisions over the years, but keeping Acuff Jr. on the roster for as long as possible should be a guarantee.

Darius Acuff Jr. is averaging 33.5 combined points and assists per game this season.

The MOST by any rookie through their first 11 NBA games since Wilt Chamberlain in 1960 🤯 pic.twitter.com/nwKw8l1yNC
— Novig (@Novig) November 13, 2026

The Kings have their franchise point guard, and if they mess it up, there will be much larger problems in play.

Realistic trade candidates

With Acuff Jr. obviously off the table for the Kings, they have a handful of other realistic trade candidates to monitor. We likely won't see Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, or Sacramento's other rookies, Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp, get traded this season, but there are some notable names to keep an eye on.

The most likely players to hit the trade block for the Kings are Sabonis and LaVine, as the Kings try to get off their sizeable contracts, with Monk and Hunter certainly in that conversation as well. We probably shouldn't expect any of these players to be traded, but we shouldn't be surprised if the Kings pull the trigger on any of them.

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