Sacramento Kings’ Darius Acuff Jr. Draws NBA Comparison to Future Hall of Famer
· Yahoo Sports
The Sacramento Kings went into the 2026 NBA Draft desperately hoping to land a franchise-caliber point guard whom they could build the team around. Sacramento’s wishes came true with the selection of Darius Acuff Jr., with many viewing the pick as a potential franchise-changing moment for Sacramento.
Recapping the winners and losers of the 2026 NBA Draft, Bill Simmons called Acuff and the Kings both winners. Simmons pondered if the rookie could eventually be as good as Kyrie Irving, while Joe House compared Acuff to Damian Lillard.
Visit chickenroad-game.rodeo for more information.
Read More: Ranking NBA Rookie of the Year Candidates, including Kings’ Darius Acuff Jr
“I have a different comp for him that I’ve felt this way for a long time. I really feel like he’s the second-coming of Dame. I feel like he’s Dame 2.0.”
Joe House on Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr.
Simmons liked the NBA comparison to Lillard and said he might be using it moving forward. Regarding the stylistic comparison, Simmons said that Acuff could be the caliber of star who can average 25-plus points and 7-plus assists per game in his prime, while being very comfortable closing games and taking big shots.
While Lillard is now several years removed from his prime, it’s worth remembering what he did with the Portland Trail Blazers. After winning NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2012-13 season, in which he averaged 19 points and 6.5 assists per game, Lillard averaged 25.4 PPG and 6.6 APG from 2014-21 with Portland, earning six All-Star selections during that stretch while finishing top-10 in NBA MVP voting five times.
Related: Sacramento Kings Called One of Biggest 2026 NBA Draft Winners
That belief in Acuff’s ceiling is shared. During a live stream of the 2026 NBA Draft on the Game Theory Podcast, analyst Bryce Simon said that Acuff is the player outside the consensus top-four prospects who has an All-NBA ceiling.
“This is the guy to me that, after those top four has…If you tell me he makes multiple All-Stars, or you tell me he makes an All-NBA or leads the NBA in scoring for a season in his career, down the road, this is the guy I think has the potential to do it.”
NBA analyst Bryce Simon on he Game Theory Podcast about Sacramento Kings PG Darius Acuff Jr
Acuff’s defense is a massive concern, with analysts agreeing that he’s one of the worst prospects they’ve scouted defensively to enter the NBA in years. However, he makes up for it by also being the best scorer in the 2026 NBA Draft class who can serve as a playmaker that creates for others.
The rookie is now poised to be the face of the Kings’ franchise, handed the keys to the offense and given the green light to shoot at will next season. While Sacramento has struggled with player development and maximizing its young talent, it’s fair to say that Acuff has the potential to be one of the Kings’ best players in modern history.
Read More: Latest on Kings’ Plans with Veteran Players
Related Headlines