Alex Karaban shows how he can fit into the Kings’ offense

Alex Karaban may not have an obvious path to Sacramento’s rotation immediately, but his skill set could give the Kings another valuable offensive piece if he earns consistent minutes.

The 29th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was among several Kings players getting 5-on-5 work in Rico Hines’ latest gym runs, alongside Darius Acuff Jr., Emanuel Sharp, Nique Clifford and Dylan Cardwell.

While Acuff understandably grabbed much of the attention, Sactown Sports’ Matt George noticed something interesting about how Karaban was being used.

George described Karaban as a “perimeter floater,” spending much of his time moving between the corner and wing while maintaining spacing for Sacramento’s ballhandlers.

“If you watch and keep an eye on Alex Karaban, a lot of times you’ll see him kind of in the corner of your screen,” George said. “He was floating a lot from that corner three up to the like the curve of the arc at that like wing three. That was his domain.”

More on Kings forward Alex Karaban

That role could be particularly useful alongside Acuff, who will likely have plenty of responsibility creating offense as a rookie.

Rather than requiring the ball, Alex Karaban can occupy defenders, relocate based on where the ball is and make himself available for kickout opportunities.

“He was just kind of floating out there a little bit, making cuts every once in a while, but really just kind of floating out there, keeping the spacing for Acuff and the others to work,” George said.

Karaban’s college numbers support the idea that shooting and spacing could be his clearest NBA path.

He averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a senior at UConn while shooting 37.4% from three and 85.1% from the free-throw line. His spot-up efficiency was particularly impressive, ranking in the 98th percentile nationally according to Synergy.

That catch-and-shoot ability was also a major part of his offensive profile, with roughly 90% of his career NCAA 3-point makes coming after a pass.

For the Kings, George believes that makes Karaban’s potential role fairly straightforward.

“That kind of floating perimeter three-point shooter role is, I think, perfect for Alex Karaban,” George said.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 29: Alex Karaban #11 of the UConn Huskies reacts after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 73-72 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The question is when Sacramento can actually give him that opportunity.

Keegan Murray and De’Andre Hunter are projected to occupy the starting forward spots, while Precious Achiuwa, Maxime Raynaud and Cardwell could also compete for frontcourt minutes.

George acknowledged that he doesn’t expect Karaban to immediately become an everyday rotation player.

Still, his basketball IQ could help him carve out a niche. Karaban played in Dan Hurley’s free-flowing UConn offense, where constantly adjusting, relocating, and finding open pockets was critical.

“You have to have a strong, a smart, a good basketball IQ to understand where you’re supposed to be and to find those pockets of space and be ready for that kickout pass,” George said.

If Karaban can consistently knock down those opportunities, Sacramento may have found a complementary piece who doesn’t need the ball to make an impact.

Listen to all episodes of Sactown Sports’ The Matt Sactown Sports’ Matt George wherever you get your podcasts, and watch each episode on SactownSports.com, the Sactown Sports app, or the Sactown Sports YouTube page.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Young Sacramento Kings building early chemistry at Rico Hines’ open runs
• Jonathan Kuminga’s Agent highlights Sacramento’s upcoming cap space flexibility
• Jerry Reynolds: Ben Simmons could be worth the risk for Kings
• Why Darius Acuff Jr.’s development matters more than the Kings’ record
• What should Sacramento Kings fans expect from De’Andre Hunter?

Sacramento Kings Schedule: 2026-27 Preseason

• Monday, October 5th vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7 P.M. PST)
• Thursday, October 8th @ Los Angeles Lakers (7:30 P.M. PST)
• Saturday, October 10th @ Golden State Warriors (5:30 P.M. PST)
• Tuesday, October 13th vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 P.M. PST)
• Friday, October 16th @ San Antonio Spurs (7:00 P.M. PST)

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