Why Proposed Kings-Clippers NBA Draft Trade Is Not Worth It

The Sacramento Kings are either the worst secret-keepers in the NBA, or they have set the league's biggest smokescreen this offseason. If the former is true, the entire league knows how badly the Kings want Darius Acuff Jr., the talented point guard prospect out of Arkansas.

It feels like every few days, a new report comes out about how the Kings are targeting Acuff with the No. 7 pick in the June 23 draft. Of course, there are reasons to believe the rumors, as the Kings are in desperate need of a new franchise point guard, and there should be optimism that Acuff can fill those shoes.

The Sacramento Kings are enamored with Darius Acuff Jr., per @MikeAScotto

“It’s worth noting Sacramento’s general manager, Scott Perry, coached Darius Acuff Sr. at Eastern Kentucky, as Sacramento is in search of a long-term floor general for the future. Should Acuff Jr. be off… pic.twitter.com/hUFMT7sDmm
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 23, 2026

However, since the entire league believes the Kings want Acuff at No. 7, it puts the L.A. Clippers and Brooklyn Nets in an interesting position. The Clippers hold the No. 5 pick in the draft, and ESPN's NBA insiders believe they could try to get the Kings to trade up two spots to secure Acuff, or their preferred prospect outside of the consensus top four.

The proposed trade:

Would this be a good move for the Kings?

While the idea of the Kings getting their preferred prospect is great, do they really need to trade into the top five to do so? Even if the Kings are in love with the idea of adding Acuff, they are much better off with hoping he falls to No. 7, rather than giving up a valuable future first-rounder from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If the Kings were moving into the top four and could guarantee their selection of either AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, or Caleb Wilson, it would be a different story. However, after those four elite prospects, there is no real fifth-best prospect.

Even if the Kings prefer Acuff, as the reports suggest, there is really not enough of a gap between him, Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and even Labaron Philon Jr., meaning the Kings are set to find their franchise point guard with the No. 7 pick regardless.

Jan 3, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr (5) celebrates after a foul call against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

With the Timberwolves' future in flux, the Kings should be holding on tight to that 2031 unprotected first-rounder. However, this is not the worst scenario for the Kings. The Kings could move up two spots to secure their preferred prospect, without giving up any of their own future assets. Sure, they would like to hold onto that Timberwolves pick, but if they are that confident in Acuff's ability to become their franchise point guard, giving it up is not the end of the world.

Overall, this would be a fine move by the Kings, but an unnecessary one. There is no real indication that either the Clippers (No. 5) or Nets (No. 6) would actually target Acuff, especially given their current point guard situations, so the Kings are likely better off hoping he falls to No. 7. And, if he doesn't, they would still be guaranteed either Flemings, Brown Jr., or Wagler.

On the other hand, regardless of how fans feel about Acuff, the Kings are better off landing a prospect they are ready to commit to, rather than settling for someone else. Still, the Kings should be just fine at No. 7, and giving up any assets to move up to No. 5 or No. 6 seems redundant for a rebuilding franchise.

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