Matt Johnson
Who will the Sacramento Kings draft in 2026? Lottery luck was once again not on the team’s side, with the club sliding to the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While the blue-chip prospects will be gone, here are some compelling options who could and will be available for Sacramento.
Let’s dive into our rankings of potential Kings draft targets with the seventh overall pick. For this exercise, we’re focused entirely on guards and we’re focused on realistic targets who have a chance to be available.
1. Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
We’re putting Keaton Wagler atop our list of Kings draft targets. However, the Illinois Fighting Illini guard is the unlikeliest to be available. Wagler, who turned 19 years old in February, earned second-team All-American honors this past season after averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for Illinois. Wagler offers fantastic size for a point guard at 6-foot-5 and while he lacks elite athleticism, his processing ability is elite and he excels at spacing the floor. He also offers some added versatility, with experience playing both on and off ball. Below-average athleticism might limit his ceiling, but he could still become a high-end starting point guard.
Related: Kings Looking Into High-Upside 2026 NBA Draft Prospect
2. Mikel Brown Jr, PG, Louisville
Sacramento would be taking a bit of a risk on Mikel Brown Jr. with the seventh overall pick, but his upside might also land him as high as No. 5 overall. He was rated as a 247 Sports’ five-star recruit and the sixth-best player in the 2025 class, but he had a rocky season at Louisville. In the pre-draft process, he measured at 6-foot-5 and paired it with excellent athleticism with no ill effects from the back injury that kept him out of the NCAA Tournament. He is a playmaker, with a feel for the game and court vision and a deadly pull-up jumper. The lingering back injury is a worry and his decision-making is a concern, but there’s All-Star upside here.
Related: Kings GM Met with Family of Top Prospect
3. Kingston Flemings, PG, Houston
The pre-draft process did no favors for Kingston Flemings. Houston listed him at 6-foot-4, but he measured at 6-foot-2.5 inches. NBA teams have reason to be wary about undersized guards, but there is plenty to like about Flemings. The 19-year-old point guard is lightning-quick with the ball in his hands, easily the fastest player in the 2026 NBA Draft class. He receives rave reviews for his work ethic and maturity, which matters for a team that is desperately in need of a new face of the franchise. What should also matter for Sacramento, Flemings is the best defender at guard among the prospects in their range.
Related: 2 Teams Want to Force Kings Into Aggressive Move
4. Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas
It’s easy to see why the Kings front office is high on All-American guard Darius Acuff Jr. This past season at Arkansas, the freshman ranked seventh nationally in scoring (23.5 PPG) and he shot 48.4 percent from the field while averaging 6.4 assists per game. Offensively, there’s so much to like. Court vision, decision-making, he limits turnovers (2.2 per game), can score from all three levels and he wants to carry the weight of being the leader and star of an NBA franchise. All of that should appeal to Sacramento.
He’s last among our Kings draft targets because of his defense. Not only is Acuff the worst defender in the 2026 NBA Draft class, but the tape and analytics all point to him being one of the worst in the last decade. Great NBA franchises are moving away from smaller guards with significant defensive limitations. Things could work out for the Kings if Acuff is their point guard, but they could easily wind up in the same boat as the Atlanta Hawks did with Trae Young.
Related: Kings Enamored with Top Draft Prospect
