The Sacramento Kings are just hours away from the 2026 NBA Draft, where they will have the number seven overall pick. Many anticipate that the Kings will select point guard Darius Acuff Jr. out of Arkansas at that spot, following the Kings’ disastrous 2025-26 season.
One name that has come up in trade rumors involving the Kings is that of Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, whom the team reportedly tried to deal at last year’s deadline, but could not find a suitable offer for.
Recently, NBA insider Michael Scotto of Hoopshype reported on what a potential Acuff selection would mean for Morant’s chances of ending up in Sacramento.
“With the Kings projected to take a point guard with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, the chances of the franchise pursuing Morant going forward are unlikely, HoopsHype has learned. This past season, the Kings were willing to acquire Morant if they were incentivized, but Memphis was uninterested in giving up draft compensation to move Morant, a two-time All-Star,” reported Scotto.
Morant’s trade value has tanked significantly over the last couple of seasons due to several factors, including his injury history, an overall decline in his play, off-court concerns, and the NBA’s gradual shift away from small guards as building blocks (although Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks may have helped to reverse that trend).
Last year, the Kings’ point guard was Russell Westbrook, who played some high-energy but erratic basketball during his first season in Sacramento. Acuff Jr. would have plenty of leeway to make mistakes and learn on the fly if he were to join a Kings team that figures to be in full-on rebuild mode next year and beyond.
In any case, the NBA Draft is slated to get underway at 8:00 pm ET.
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