Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. struggles in NBA debut after strong preseason
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The gist
Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 12 points on 5-for-24 shooting in a 121-96 loss to the Clippers.
His rough debut follows a preseason in which he led all rookies in scoring.
Background
Darius Acuff Jr. is a 19-year-old point guard for the Sacramento Kings, taken No. 7 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft after a freshman year at Arkansas in which he was a unanimous First Team All-American and led the SEC in scoring (23.5 points) and assists (6.4). The Kings won just 22 games last season and are rebuilding around him, with general manager Scott Perry saying he believes Acuff can be the player the franchise needs. He is trending because a standout preseason — 17.3 points per game, the top mark among rookies — gave way to a historically poor regular-season debut.
How it unfolded
- Oct 10, 2026Acuff played in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco.
- Oct 16, 2026In the preseason finale against the San Antonio Spurs, Acuff had 13 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound in 19 minutes, while Ben Simmons posted 14 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
- Oct 17, 2026Acuff finished the preseason tied for 13th in the NBA in scoring at 17.3 points per game, leading all rookies, with 42% field-goal and 42% three-point shooting over four games.
- Oct 18, 2026A scout said Acuff could be the Rookie of the Year favorite after his preseason play.
- Oct 21, 2026Acuff made his NBA debut against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome; the Kings lost 121-96 and never led.
- Oct 21, 2026In 35 minutes Acuff scored 12 points with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers, shooting 5-for-24 from the field and 0 of 7 from three.
- Oct 22, 2026Reports called the debut historically bad and said it raised concerns that kept him out of the top tier of the 2026 draft class.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O'Connor predicted the Kings will finish with the worst record in franchise history.
- Support
- Kings general manager Scott Perry said he believes Acuff can be the player the franchise needs.
- Expert
- A scout said Acuff could be the Rookie of the Year favorite after dominating the preseason.
- Public
- Acuff said his passing is very underrated, he can get hot at any moment, and he loves being an unexpected player.
Still unverified
Ben Simmons' torn Achilles is described as reportedly ending his season. Acuff's heart being set on winning Rookie of the Year is described as an assumption.