Why Kings’ Summer League Standout Might Be the Next Undrafted Gem

The Sacramento Kings have had a great start to the summer, going undefeated in the California Classic and starting Vegas off on a high note with another win before finally falling to the Washington Wizards last night. Darius Acuff Jr., Emanuel Sharp, Dylan Cardwell, and Nique Clifford have been the obvious standouts, but there’s another name that needs to be brought up as well.

After going undrafted, the Kings added LSU’s Marquel Sutton to their Summer League roster, and after a slow start, he’s been one of the biggest surprises. We have a long time until summer is over, but Sutton has made the case that he at least deserves an invitation to camp.

Humble Beginnings

Much like former summer-King Isaac Jones, Sutton started his college career off in junior college before transferring to Omaha for his sophomore season. After three solid years at Omaha that concluded with him averaging 18 points and 8 boards per game, Sutton made the jump to LSU. Although LSU wasn’t the best program this year, the SEC is one of the toughest conferences in the nation and represents a challenge for any player coming from a weaker conference.

Marquel Sutton NEEDS to be on more NBA radars.

6’9 two-way wing with a super high motor. Averaged 9.3 rebs per 40.

Switchable defender. 85th %ile in RAPM.

Shot 30.3% from 3pt on good volume, but I believe he’s a way better shooter than that.

Top 45. pic.twitter.com/yR4uLmyyVI
— JPR (@Scouting_Col) April 29, 2026

While Sutton’s numbers weren’t quite what they were at Omaha, he still averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds while starting all 32 games. Not known as a shooter previously, Sutton started to up his three point volume and surprisingly improved his efficiency a bit as well. 30% on 3.4 attempts per game still isn’t what we would classify as good, but the signs were there that he could expand his range.

Next in Line?

The Kings haven’t been great at much over the last few seasons, but one thing they’ve gotten right is finding undrafted gems. Keon Ellis and Dylan Cardwell have both signed standard contracts after starting off as undrafted two-way players, and Sutton may be next in line. It should be standard practice not to overreact to summer league, but Sutton’s ability to do the little things, along with putting the ball in the basket, is what makes him such an intriguing player.

Sutton only had about 10 minutes of action in the Kings’ first California Classic matchup as coach Chris Darnell opted to focus on the top of the rotation against the Brooklyn Nets. With Darius Acuff, Jonathan Mogbo, and Dylan Cardwell sitting in the second game, Sutton took full advantage of his opportunity. Marquel put up 16 points and 8 boards against the Golden State Warriors’ Blue squad and really stood out amongst other players fighting for roster spots. Against the Milwaukee Bucks, Sutton started to transition from a feel-good story to looking like someone who belongs in the league.

Marquel Sutton goes around Nick Martinelli and dunks it with force. pic.twitter.com/NGduqQRPbQ
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 10, 2026

Sutton put up 24 points on 4-8 from three and added two blocks in 33 minutes of action. What impressed me most about Sutton was his ability to move without the ball. The shooting may not be here to stay, but having a big wing who makes timely cuts and gives his teammates an outlet is a huge plus on any team and even more important with a rookie point guard getting ready to take the reins. Sutton made life much easier on Darius Acuff against the Bucks simply by finding open spaces and not standing around, something that the rest of the roster can take some notes on.

So, How Do The Kings Keep Him Around?

On paper, Sutton is exactly what the Kings need at the end of the bench. He’s got good size at 6’8”, and even if he can’t continue his hot shooting, his 3.7 BPM at LSU last season and sub-8 % turnover percentage lead me to believe he can be impactful in short stints off the bench. We’ll see how Sutton performs for the rest of the summer, but it may be challenging to keep him as part of the regular season.

"Guys like me that's just on the summer league roster, you just gotta wait your turn. When your opportunity comes, you gotta present yourself."

-Marquel Sutton expresses his gratitude after scoring a game-high 24 points in the Sacramento Kings 95-89 victory over the Milwaukee… pic.twitter.com/LCCLTp7KKr
— Kevin John (@heykevinjohn) July 7, 2026

Right now, Sacramento is sitting at 13/15 roster spots filled and has already filled all of their two-way slots with Mogbo, Isaiah Stevens, and Adam Flagler. This makes it tough to find a spot for Sutton, but the Kings do have one clear option. If they opt to convert one of their current two-way players, like Mogbo or Stevens, to a standard contract, Sutton can slide into the open two-way slot.

Whether the Kings are thinking of making that kind of move remains unclear, and the more likely outcome would be inviting Sutton to camp and getting a closer look at him against the veterans who are not competing in Summer League. Sutton is 23, and while there’s still room for him to improve, it would be smart for Sacramento’s brass to be more patient with their evaluation than they would with a 19-year-old rookie. It’ll be an uphill battle for Sutton to convince Scott Perry and the Kings to find a spot for him, but it’s becoming harder and harder to overlook his play.

Follow us on Facebook and X for the latest Sacramento Kings news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google