With the 45th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Kings selected Emanuel Sharp, a 6’3 shooting guard from Houston.
Sharp spent all four collegiate seasons playing for the University of Houston before entering the draft. Last year, he started all 37 games and averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 37.2% from three (on 7.1 attempts a game). Sharp is also known as an excellent defender despite being undersized who plays with toughness, while on offense settling into an off-ball catch and shoot role. Over 60% of his field goal attempts this season came from beyond the arc.
Here’s a little more on Sharpe from one of the best evaluators out there, the Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, who had Sharpe ranked 33rd on his Big Board:
I tend to like players who come from the Houston ecosystem and have been there for multiple years because they’re tough and enter the NBA with an understanding of defensive principles. Sharp fits into that lineage well. He was a Big 12 All-Defense player who crawls underneath his opponents and tries to frustrate them. He also knocks down shots at a high level with a quick release and good shot prep.
I couldn’t give a first-round grade to Sharp largely because he’s too small and doesn’t have the skill level outside of shooting. I worry that his intersection of athleticism and size will cause too many issues. Still, I’d love to take him in the second round and see if it works.
And for a little more on what drive’s Sharpe, take a look at this profile from PaperCity.
Sharpe joins the Kings as a rookie along with Darius Acuff Jr. and Alex Karaban who were selected yesterday. Welcome to Sacramento, Emanuel!
Sooting and defense
He’s the size of Devin Carter.
A nice maybe at #45. Where will he get minutes? Stockton, I suppose.
Be nice if they got rid of LaVine and Carter and let Sharp be the 4th guard. But I don’t see that happening, so probably Stockton for a while.
shooting as well as sooting
and maybe sone scooting
It would be most preferable to see Devin Carter look more like a lottery selection.
If not, or additionally (even better) Sharp perhaps canl be an NBA level player.
What I was thinking, too. This is Perry’s Devin Carter. He doesn’t like Monte’s.
Sounds like a Carter doppleganger.
Beef stew traded to the Grizz for three 2nds.
I like what the Grizz got cookin.
Not much to say. I know nothing about the dude. It’s not the position or size of human I would prefer to take a chance on, especially when I just drafted a small PG to be the face of my franchise for text 4 years at minimum. Why not try for size/length? Let’s see who they sign as ungraded. Hope this guy impresses and becomes an undeniable rotation player. Sounds a bit like a Keon Ellis type which would be a modest and reasonable outcome. Not seeing any playing time for him in the next year.
I think they were hoping one of Baba Miller or Trevon Brazile was there at 45 but those guys went much earlier. Of everyone left I think Sharp is one of the better talents available even if the size isn’t ideal.
Honest question. Should teams draft BPA at #45 or is fit more important?
I don’t think that you worry about fit at all with this roster, other than maybe the fit with Acuff.
Taking small guards every year is embarrassing. Perry is nothing more than an average to below average GM. Acuff and Max fell to us– great. I don’t think good GMs move up to take Karaban, when we need BPA and athletic defenders. GMs also don’t draft the same player that they got in the lottery 2 years, when they need tall defenders. I think his “accuracy level” in gauging talent is low!
Perry must have really wanted Karaban at #29 to give up two 2nd round picks for a guy that could very well have been there at #35. Maybe he caught wind that PHX was going to take him at #30, otherwise why not just wait until the 2nd round of the draft to see what happens.
They’ve talked a lot about how the draft changed due to the college NIL. I’ve seen mocks with Sharp at #33 and Karaban at #34. I don’t think Karaban would have lasted (too bad they couldn’t get Cenac) to 34, but this is the guy they wanted.
Personally, I like the pick. Sacramento can use role players, glue guys who have demonstrated high BBIQ. Look at the Grayson Allen, Taurean Prince, Max Strus, Sam Hauser, Duncan Robinson and who is like that on this team? If he can be a role player/bench guy for a late first round pick, I am all for it. And the guy can shoot.
Same goes for Emanuel Sharp. He took a ton of 3s and hit at a decent clip. The Kings were 30th in 3FG made 3FG attempted and 29th in 3FG% last season. Trying to correct that is a good thing, but that’s just IMO.
The Keon replacement?
Much more physical than Keon. But is a little shorter in height and wingspan.
Ok. Another 4 year college player..
Is this team trying to be the oldest team in the league with all players being on rookie scale contracts?
To be fair, it was basically only seniors available in the 2nd round.
To your point, the average age for the 2nd round was 22 and a half years old. Thomas (drafted 31) and Quaintance (recovering from surgery) were the only two sub-20 year olds taken.
I think that this is the new normal in the NIL world.
I wonder what value 2nd round picks will have going forward if this is the new normal. First round is for freshmen and the second round is for dudes finishing their college career.
Quaintance was taken in the first round.
Yeah that concerns me a bit.
Little…
This is why they didn’t trade for sabonis, they must be really considering a tear down??
LaMelo to the TWolves for Naz Reid and a bunch of pick swaps. This is an AWFUL move for the TWolves.
Maybe makes LaVine to the Pistons more likely?
Pistons are attempting to do something. You don’t just dump Big Stew’s contract for nothing. They are clearing space and my guess is it’s for Herro. I’d love it to be LaVine though.
And yeah, bad deal for the Wolves. LaMelo and his off the court antics sharing a backcourt with ANT has more of a chance to go bad then good. Makes the Minny 2031 pick the Kings have all the better!
Norm Powell is who I think Detroit is targeting. They drafted Okorie, Daniss Jenkins looked solid last season. I think Powell might fit what they need. A good scoring option and probably a bit cheaper than Herro.
I hope it is Lavine too, but I wont hold my breath,
They have a ton of cap space, but good chunk of it is going to Duren in RFA. I think you could be right about Powell, but they may run the risk of overpaying for a 33 year old who’s probably gonna demand close to $30M per year.
Well, there’s the priority on defense finally showing up…
…for a guy who might not even make the roster.
Regardless, I’ve been on a real negative bender the past few weeks, so let’s finish with something better…
…welcome to Sacramento!
More flipping guards? JFC can we get some size please?
Breaking:
With their 1st* pick of the** NBA draft, the Kings select Kingston Flemings’+; point*** guard out of Houston!
*kept
**second round of the
+backcourt teammate
***scoring
Whoa! Lamelo going to Twolves.
De’Aaron Fox? Tyler Herro? Jalen Suggs?
Who will be their PG?
Is the move preemptive to Detroit?
White, and that’s a good deal for them.
I like the asset management of the Hornets over the last 24 hours.
Agreed. Some good to very good young players developing, signing a solid vet like White to a smart contract, and an enviable salary cap situation with a 40 million dollar trade exception, big enough to swallow an established good player.
I think letting Miller, Kon, & Diabate grow without Ball’s silliness is a very smart move, and White & Naz are capable veterans who also are pretty fungible with their respective skill sets and contract sizes over the next couple of years as the team develops.
no arguing that they “sold high” on LaMelo as his value last Summer was not nearly what they got today.
Julius Randle, than Giannis Antetokounmpo now LeMelo Ball (and Coby White and Tyler Herro and Naz Reid and Jaime Jacquez, Junior and Kel’el Ware). This portends a vibrant off season and free agency. That is good for the Kings as maybe they can be a part of the flurry. I don’t expect that (other than waive + stretch DeRozan), but ya nevah know.
Monk? Lavine? As for me, I like Domas too much and see him as an asset more than a liability. Maxime had a nice rookie season but he is a projected bench big. Would you rather have him or Neemias Queta? To me, it’s a wash, maybe Queta has greater value.
Sidenote question (maybe for the TKH Podcast): When do you look to trade out Keegan? If he has a healthy but lackluster first few months, what do you do? Is this part of the Chicago follow through, get DeRozan, get Lavine and he is the Kings Patrick Williams?
I bet the Hornets dump Bridges next. They acquired Reid, drafted Steinbach this year, Kalkenbrenner last year, and Diabate played well.
I really don’t like that for Minny, and how does that even work math wise? LaMelo and Green combine for $55M while Reid makes $24M
Maybe making room for this?
Terrible for Minnesota. They’re way worse than they were yesterday, and they spent draft assets to do it.
Trading Naz & Randle is pretty wild. I do not see where they are going to get decent minutes at the power forward spot. Donte Divincenzo is the only tradeable contract at 12m, and I do not know what that gets you, and they have no exceptions or flexibility to try and get John Collins on the FA market. I think teams should be aggressive and go for it, but this seems poorly thought out.
I heard the LaMelo trade is going to be added to the Randle trade, which I think makes the money work.
I like what Charlotte’s doing.
Over at At the Hive blog, fans are torn. Some see it a s good culture shift away from LaMelo and “selling high.” Others thing the return is garbage. I say an unprotected first and Naz Reid is pretty darn good. Hell, I might take that for Sabonis.
I’d rather have an unprotected first and Naz then an unprotected first and Zac.
stop crying Charolette
So the draft is over and overall I think we did okay. Nobody will know for probably two years how we did but I really like the Acuff pick, don’t understand why the move up to get Karaban who just doesn’t seem athletic enough to make an impact in the NBA. Can’t comment on Sharp but I don’t understand why Veesar dropped that much and would have liked the Kings to grab him at 45.
Now we need to play the heck out of Acuff, Clifford, Raynaud, and I guess Karaban to see what we have. The next moves should be to release DDR and trade LaVine at the midseason trade deadline hopefully for some draft capital. So starting next year hopefully we will have cap space, draft capital and a good idea how impactful are young guys will be.
It’s going to take some time but right now the path forward looks decent.
Karaban seems like a Sam Houser type of guy, and Houser plays real minutes with the Celtics…
I heard that Veesar was trying to maneuver his way to the Lakers, but the Hawks didn’t care and moved ahead of the Lakers to get him.
I think the Kings draft was solid. They didn’t do anything stupid. Took Acuff who could be really good, and the others are tough guys who can shoot.
Still a bottom feeder team, but they didn’t get worse on draft night?
I’m trying to think of another non-athletic “glue guy” who had a big impact on his team.
I don’t watch any of the modern NBA outside of the Kings, so I have to go back to an earlier era…
…like maybe Manu Ginobili? Is that Karaban’s ceiling?
The comp that I see the most often is Sam Hauser. If you can get that out of Karaban in year 3 and 4 of his rookie deal, that’s a pretty good win for a 29 pick.
Joe Ingles in UTA?
That’s who I was going to suggest, along with Boris Diaw.
This was DeMarcus Cousins’s comp for Karaban on some random draft podcast.
Cousins did manage to avoid a technical foul in the three minutes I watched.
Kyle Anderson?
Not getting worse is a very low hurdle you must have meant something else. As for Karaban a future second isn’t much compensation to give up but most draft experts thought he would be available at 34. I’m excited about Acuff and I don’t think this poor defender tag that has been place on him has much merit. I liked him much better than Wagler and Flemings. Of course none of us know for sure but give me the guy who can score and score in multiple ways like Acuff. Sharp I’m hoping will be some version of Dort who went undrafted.
Carter when finally given some steady minutes in March and April produced 15/5/4 at 48%fg 38% 3pt with excellent defense. I like Sharpe but don’t understand the thought process on this pic other than just not Perry pic. Which seems incredibly short sighted.
Men with huge egos aren’t generally known for their long-term vision…
It looks like he was BPA at 45. Really wanted Brazile but he was gone early. Like most have commented I wonder what they do with Carter now.
Who’s to say Sharp is any better than Carter? He might just be getting a 2-way deal and spending most of his time in Stockton.
Also, I think Sharp is more of an off guard than PG.
What you say? Trade proposal: Sabonis to the Hawks for Kuminga, Kispert, a first and 2 seconds. Paring Murray at the 3 and Kuminga at the 4 would be fantastic. Murray’s outside threat with Kumiga working the inside would be dynamic.
Starters: Acuff, Clifford, Murray, Kuminga and Raynaud. Clifford balances out Acff’s offense with his defense. Murray and Clifford’s outside threat allows Acuff to drive and Kuminga do what he does best inside. Karaban backs up Kuminga. Hunter backs up Murray and Sharp backs up Nique. Also have Monk. Carter and or Clifford backs up Acuff. Kispert great bench as he shoots the 3 and plays defense.
The Hawks will have problems extending Kuminga’s contract next year but with Lavine gone next year the Kings won’t have that problem.
The starting lineup would be young but IMO that’s what the Kings are trying to do. GO KINGS!
.
Kispert doesn’t play defense. He tries but he’s mostly ineffective. I’d rather have this lineup for now.
Acuff
Clifford
Murray
Sabonis
Raynaud
they will most likely play LaVine instead of Clifford which is why I’d like to see him moved sooner than later although I think he would be a great pickup on an expiring for a contending team at the deadline. Denver might be the team for a midseason deal. LaVine would be very effective with the Joker and Murray although Denver has some issues on the defensive end of the court.
Yeah I wouldn’t mind keeping Carter for another year.
I don’t know, maybe I’m getting old, but after watching so many dismal Kangz teams over the years, I think using the late-first/second round to build culture and complement your gambles on raw talent seems pretty smart. If we were more established I’d feel better about taking gambles late in the draft. As it stands, I like surrounding someone like Acuff with young guys who have defined (if narrow) skillsets paired with a track record of winning and professionalism.
Throwing a bunch of young, low-floor/high-ceiling guys together isn’t a recipe for success or for building good habits imo. Build on a foundation of competence.
I’ve been skeptical of Perry, but I like what he’s doing this offseason, particularly if he can shed DDR and LaVine.
I think Perry has done fine in the draft. It’s all the other moves that have left me scratching my head.
They think they have their “star” with Acuff, so might as well start adding some complimentary pieces around him and see what works with his play style. I expect it to take a while to bear any fruit.
I’d love for the Kings to pair Acuff with a solid defensive combo guard in the mold of Suggs, Derrick White, or Cason Wallace. Maybe Nique can take that path? One can dream.
I really hope Nique works on the 3pt shot. If he can’t space the floor, I don’t think he’ll be in the league much longer.
He’s basically another iteration of Colby Jones.
The game seemed too fast for Colby Jones and I don’t get that same feeling with Clifford. His offense is better but only by a sliver. The mechanics are there but I was too often wondering if those bricks might crack the glass backboard.
This draft brought some youth, and with youth, optimism follows. That said, it is going to be a long 2026-2027 season in Sacramento.
IMO it will be a fun season and more productive than last year as long as Christie plays Clifford more than Lavine, include Karaban and Sharpe and don’t just sit them. Play Raynaud more than Sabonis if he will still be here,
I still like the trade with the Hawks for Sabonis and including Kuminga another prospect and draft capital.
The Hawks selected Zuby and Veesar. They want to pair those 2 with Okongwu. I don’t think Sabonis is on their radar.
Vessar was what picked #57? In that it tells be it is going to be quite awhile before he contributes. In that Sabonis would be a great addition to their starting lineup. And the Kings would get Kuminga who IMO would be a great fit along side Murray.
I disagree. Nique is a far better player than Jones. IMO his soph year will either prove me right or prove me wrong. Can’t wait to find out.
I wanted more from a 24 year old, 5th year senior coming into the NBA. he seemed overwhelmed a lot.
It’s wild to think Acuff is nearly years younger than Nique.
Karaban and Raynaud will both be 24 before the next season is over. So Sharp, who turns 23 before next season is over, is the 2nd youngest player on the roster – only Acuff is younger. Every other player on the current roster will be at least 25 years old by the end of next season.
Is that you back in your heyday? 😉
Let it flow(max).
I don’t see that as a problem.
Undersized shooting guard who shoots 37% from 3. There weren’t any 6’9″ plus PFs out there to kick the tires on?
Plays great defense. A stud.
None that demonstrated six pillars of winning basketball. Only undersized guards have these qualities, apparently.
who would you have chosen with the #45 pick?
The 2nd round is tricky now because agents tend to push their players to teams that will give them a certain type of contract, and want their players in specific situations.
So alot of the players being picked are based on that, not specifically talent level.
I think Sharp will be guard depth. Once Lavine, Carter, and Monk are moved (at some point), there is a need for guards. Height be undersized, but he does some good things on the court.
Sharp.
More moves by OKC.
They needed more outside shooting and Isaiah Joe is a great choice
Takes the pie in the sky theory that they would want LaVine.
LaVine will be a King next season. That’s the sad truth.
If the Kings wave Derozan and hopefully trade Sabonis, Monk and maybe Carter I don’t care because the Kings are going to be close to 50 mil richer. Let him sit for 1 year.
The other take if he oos out IMO it is a better deal for Lavine. Maybe 3 year deal at say 75 mil. which IMO a far better deal that staying pat.
Prest really does operate at another level from most of the league. Joe and Wiggins were 2nd round pick role players on a very deep bench. Presti maximized their value and flipped them both for 4 future second picks, all while creating space to keep his core rotation intact.
and win a championship last year, WCF this season.
There’s a handful of FO’s that just operate on another level.
I think it was the Grizz that moved down five slots in the draft and picked up 5 2nd rounders for their trouble. That’s nice ammunition for trades.
Monte and Perry could never.
They traded those 3 2nd rounders back to Detroit for Beef Stew. Solid move.
So the Pistons landed Isaiah Joe.
Next step, SnT Duren for Domas.
Cade and Domas in the PnR would be deadly.
I was thinking the same with the PnR for Acuff and Domas. But Duren would be a great exchange.
We need to get younger and accumulate players on Acuff’s timeline. Duren is 22 and Domas is 29.
Duren has to prove himself in the playoffs. He is an undersized 5. The Kings already have an undersized 5 that has to prove himself in the playoffs.
Domas is getting $40M+/season and Duren wants the same package (more!). I think there is a better home for each of these players, but not in Sacramento.
Wait and get the right player.
Holland, Duren, Robinson to match salary if need, and some second rounders would be excellent for the win-now Pistsons (hopefully Harris is not part of that deal).
With each pick declared The Savior it’s hard to break the pattern of disappointment.
For some.
Vivek will have the savior traded, bypassed or terminated before the savior can be a savior for the Kings.
I have zero expectations for anyone selected outside the draft lottery. If you hit on a player, congratulations! You’re a winner! These guys are all a roll of the dice anyway, so I don’t care much about fit, talent or anything else, except maybe not being an awful human being.
Raynaud looks like a score at his draft position. If Nique or Karaban or Sharp don’t do much, what are you going to do? It would be nice to get some value out of Carter as a lottery pick, but Perry won’t even mention his name when talking about the young players on the team. I expect Carter to either to play out this season and not have his option picked up, or if Sharp can play at all (low bar) Carter gets moved for a future second round pick.
Those 3 you mentioned above IMO are going to be really good for the Kings this season.
I appreciate your optimisim, sir.
Carter’s chance is to come to training camp a much improved, fully ready NBA player, a guy who just has to play. It’s the rare player who does that, but it does happen. If Carter doesn’t show massive improvement in October, I agree with your assessment.
Carter needs to show that he can be good in the CA Classic and Summer League. He didn’t look so good last year during the summer.
For sure! This is his last year to prove that he can play 60-70+ game for about 25 per. We have to play him and Sharp (2-way is the best start), ditching Monk as soon as possible.
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