Sacramento hasn’t had much to celebrate on the basketball court in a long time. The Kings have missed the playoffs 19 times in the last 20 years. They’ve had exactly two winning seasons in two decades. But the people in this city never stopped believing, and now they have a 19-year-old rookie who thinks exactly the same way.
Darius Acuff Jr. is not here to be the next Allen Iverson or Jalen Brunson, even if college basketball spent all last season making those comparisons. The 6-foot-1 guard out of Arkansas heard all of it. He just didn’t care.
“I compare myself to me,” Acuff told ClutchPoints. “I study who I was the game before and try to improve every time I step on the court. I don’t want to be someone else. I want to write my own story and my own greatness.”
That kind of answer is rare for a top draft pick. Most guys at his level carry themselves with a certain swagger, a love for the spotlight that comes with being the future of the league. Acuff is different. He handles his business on the court, stays quiet off it, and lets his work do the talking. Kings general manager Scott Perry noticed it right away during the pre-draft process.
“When he walks into a room, he believes he’s going to be the best player in the gym,” Perry said. “It’s not arrogance. It’s a very quiet confidence.”
Acuff put together one of the best freshman seasons in SEC history at Arkansas: 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds per game, shooting 48.4% from the floor and 44% from three. He won SEC Player of the Year, SEC Rookie of the Year, and tournament MVP after leading the Razorbacks to a conference title. He became the first player since Pete Maravich to lead the league in both scoring and assists.
Perry, who took over as Kings GM in 2025, made it clear that drafting Acuff seventh overall was about more than just talent. It was about finding someone who could reset the culture in Sacramento. Acuff is exactly that kind of player. He spent his Summer League trip to Las Vegas focused entirely on basketball, not nightlife. He played three games, averaged 19 points and 5.3 assists, and then went straight back to watching his own film.
“The only film I’ve been watching is of myself,” Acuff said. “Studying others is great, but you learn the most when you break down the good and the bad from your own game.”
His relationship with Perry is already strong. Acuff said the GM has challenged him from day one, always pushing him to get better instead of just hyping him up. That matter-of-fact approach matches Acuff’s own mindset perfectly.
“Scott is my guy,” Acuff said. “He shows a lot of love, but he also wants the very best for me. He won’t sugarcoat things. That’s what I like about him the most.”
Sacramento might not be the biggest market or the flashiest destination, but that’s part of why it works for Acuff. He doesn’t want to chase the spotlight. He wants to earn it on the court. The Kings haven’t been relevant in years, but that challenge is exactly what drew him in.
When asked what Kings fans should expect from him this season, Acuff didn’t hesitate.
“Just being a winner. Kings fans want to win, and I’m going to deliver on that promise.”
He knows the fans have stuck with this franchise through years of losing. He saw them show up at Summer League, and he plans to give them something real to cheer for. His goal for the 2026-27 season is simple, and he’s not shy about stating it.
“I hate losing,” Acuff said. “Any time I’m on the court, it’s not about my stats. It’s only about winning. All the outside noise doesn’t matter because inside the gym, we’ll know what we’re capable of.”
When pressed on what specific part of his game he’s working on behind the scenes, Acuff just smiled.
“You know I can’t tell you that. They’ll all find out soon enough.”
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