The buzz around Darius Acuff Jr. continues to grow, and now that momentum is reaching the Sacramento Kings front office.
Speaking on Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show, Matt George shared insight that paints a clear picture: Darius Acuff Jr. is firmly on Sacramento’s radar ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
“Not just a conversation happening here in Sacramento, certainly not just on these airwaves,” George said. “Darius Acuff might be the fastest riser being discussed, at least amongst top prospects in the nation right now, like a lot of people are talking about, look how unbelievably talented he is.”
That rise has been fueled by Acuff’s standout freshman season at Arkansas and the continued pipeline of NBA-ready guards under Razorbacks head coach John Calipari, who developed several NBA guards during his time at Kentucky.
“Look at what Arkansas is doing. Calipari is doing his thing and getting his guy to rise up the ranks.”
While George made it clear that draft boards across the league remain fluid, the Kings’ level of interest appears very real.
“Now, I have no idea where he sits on the Sacramento Kings board. I have no idea where he sits on any team’s board, but I did some digging, asked some questions, and got a pretty definitive response that the Sacramento Kings are really big fans of Darius Acuff,” George said.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 15: Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Arkansas Razorbacks looks on in the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores of 2026 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament Championship game at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
(Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
More on Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr.
Darius Acuff Jr. is finishing off an impressive freshman year with an Arkansas team that just punched its ticket to the Sweet 16.
The 6’3 guard is averaging 23.3 points (7th in NCAA Division I), 3.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists (13th in NCAA Division I), and 0.8 steals per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and an incredible 44 percent from three-point range.
Sacramento’s interest becomes even more relevant depending on where the Kings land in the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery. If the Sacramento falls outside the top tier of picks, Acuff could quickly become a primary target.
“If the Sacramento Kings were to end up outside of that top four window… if they were to fall to that 5, 6, 7 range, I’m told they are very, very keen on the idea of Darius Acuff here in Sacramento,” George said.
What stands out most is how highly Acuff may rank among guards in this class—at least internally.
“I got the sense that if they have their point guard positional rankings, Darius Acuff is at the top of those rankings. That’s the sense that I got from the conversation that I had.”
DARIUS ACUFF IS LIKE THAT 🔥
Acuff finished with 36 points as Arkansas knocked off High Point to advance to the Sweet 16 pic.twitter.com/KtIYgPaySI
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 22, 2026
Beyond rankings and projections, Acuff’s style of play seems to align with what Sacramento has been searching for.
“This is just a tough player, like he’s tough-nosed. He’s all the things you hear that, you know, Sacramento is trying to go for in a player… like that is Darius Acuff, like he would be a fit in that way here,” Anderson added.
Even while dealing with injuries earlier in the season, Acuff’s trajectory never truly stalled—once healthy, his ascent accelerated.
“This is a guy who, even when he was banged up this season, was a good player. But the minute that he kind of had the injury under control and felt 100%… he started to skyrocket.”
All signs point to Darius Acuff Jr. being more than just a name to watch—he’s becoming a legitimate option for Sacramento. And if his rise continues, the Kings may not be the only team hoping he’s still on the board when their pick arrives.
Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.
Listen to and watch Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show with Matt George & Kayla Anderson, airing weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT on Sactown Sports.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will embark on their final road trip of the season with a five-game East Coast swing that begins on Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte.
Sacramento dropped a 117-109 contest to Charlotte at Golden 1 Center on March 11th as the Hornets used a 30-point effort from LaMelo Ball to hold off the Kings.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Charlotte Hornets action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before a 4:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Tuesday, March 24th – @ Charlotte Hornets – 4:00 PM PT
Thursday, March 26th – @ Orlando Magic – 4:00 PM PT
Saturday, March 28th – @ Brooklyn Nets – 4:00 PM PT
Sunday, March 29th @ Brooklyn Nets – 3:00 PM PT
Wednesday, April 1st @ Toronto Raptors – 5:00 PM PT
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