Sactown Scouting Report: Acuff, Flemings, or Wagler?

Diving into the 2026 NBA Draft for the ongoing ‘Sactown Scouting Reports’ has reassured my initial thought that the Sacramento Kings are in a good spot as current owners of the 7th overall pick.

They’ll have their pick of at least two, what I believe are top-end talents, by the time they come on the clock.

Rather than a full explanation of the top players, I’ll stick to Sacramento’s perspective and state the obvious. If any of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybansta, Caleb Wilson, or Cameron Boozer somehow fall that far on draft night, Kings general manager Scott Perry should call whose name in without any second thoughts.

To give my brief thoughts on those players, I lean towards Peterson at the top. The lack of consistent rim pressure and playmaking at the collegiate levels is a fair flaw, but I thought he still had some great posters and dimes at Kansas. It’s the elite shot creation and shot-making that make me believe he’s going to be a star more than anyone else.

AJ Dybansta is right behind him, though, if not side-by-side, as they’re the clear two best prospects in my mind. With a larger frame, his shot felt unblockable, and he got to the foul line at an unbelievable rate. Either Washington or Utah will be lucky to add either.

1. Darryn Peterson

2. AJ Dybansta

From there, my preference for a playstyle and my strong valuation of postseason basketball (a.k.a. defense and versatility) start to show. UNC’s Wilson would be third for me, but solidly within the same second-tier as Boozer. Given Wilson’s mid-range touch, I buy the three-point shot, and if he’s able to put the ball on the deck consistently and make reads, he could be a two-way star.

Boozer is going to help a team win. It wouldn’t surprise me if he took home Rookie of the Year. But there’s more to worry about regarding how his game translates to being a postseason star when creating advantages becomes tougher and defensive limitations become more exposed.

3. Caleb Wilson

4. Cameron Boozer

While I’m a fan of all three prospects ranked below, I don’t believe they belong in the same tier as the top four. Also, my thoughts could always change leading up to my final Kings’ big board the day before the June 23rd Draft.

One final note: since I’ven’t written the Sactown Scouting Report for Mikal Brown Jr., he’ll be left off the list for now along with anyone else who may deserve to be considered within his conversation. This is purely for debating between Darius Acuff, Keaton Wagler, and Kingston Flemings.

(Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

5. Kingston Flemings – 6’2.5″ guard (Houston)

Coming in as a true freshman under head coach Kelvin Sampson in Houston, many draft analysts expected Flemings to be a two-year collegiate player, but he quickly showed why that wouldn’t be necessary.

Averaging 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds is a surface-level example of his well-rounded contributions. The thing that stood out most while watching the speedy guard play was his obvious high IQ and his ability to utilize it in-game. He’s talked about taking pride in studying film on both ends of the floor.

Offensively, it allows him to help make his teammates better and set them up in ways that cater to their strengths and preferences. Defensively, it allowed him to demonstrate a strong understanding of help defense concepts and to be a disruptive force off the ball, averaging 1.5 steals per game, including an eight-steal performance against Florida State.

Being labeled as someone with a ‘higher-floor’ tends to imply a lower ceiling, but I personally think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions with Flemings. While he didn’t shoot the ball at a high volume from three (2.9/g), he converted 38.7% and always seemed to step up to the challenge in clutch moments. His finishing at the rim wasn’t at an elite level, but who’s to say that can’t improve at the next level?

If either his finishing rate or three-point shot takes a leap, it would do wonders for the odds of the other panning out. The De’Aaron Fox comparision seems to worry Sacramento fans, but don’t take that as his ceiling being a fringe All-Star.

Watching him be the primary advantage creator in college, I wonder how much playing a role limited our peek into his NBA ceiling.

Plus, there are only about eight players (maybe 10?) in the NBA good enough to be the best player on a championship team. If the talent Sacramento adds is in the tier below that, that’s still a massive win and a step in the right direction. In my mind, they’re going to have more bites at the apple in the coming seasons. The flattened lottery odds make that tricky, but I’d rather not overreact to something we haven’t yet seen play out.

To me, Flemings checks all the boxes for someone you want leading your team. He seems like the type of player who will make those around him better and help create an identity that the Kings so desperately cherish.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

6. Darius Acuff Jr. – 6’2″ guard (Arkansas)

Now here’s the full-on, swing for the fences type of move. Before telling you what seems to scare me more than others about him, let’s dive into what he does well, because there’s plenty of it.

To say Acuff had an elite offensive season under John Calipari would be underselling it. The true freshman managed 23.5 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and (more importantly) 44% from three on 5.8 attempts per game.

With six 30+ point games, including a 49-point outburst in Alabama, he quickly became the talk of college basketball. With cutoff sleeves and an arm band, he just looked like a hooper out there. And he played like one, too.

Being able to knock down big shots was what made Acuff dynamic, and he did so from all three levels. As defenses would react to slow him down, he showed a solid ability to read the help and find the open man. Throwing lobs was a standout skill in particular.

Thriving in isolation at the NBA level is also another animal, with the length of on-ball defenders and lack of advantage in pick-and-rolls thanks to switch-heavy schemes.

So if he seems like this surefire offensive engine, why isn’t he considered among the top four, or even the top two, in this class? It starts with his well-documented defensive struggles.

Getting caught on screens is one thing, but showing a lack of care to fight through them or help cover anyone else after getting blown by is concerning. His struggles one on end were just as glaring as his strengths on the other.

What I worry about is what the non-star outcome of Acuff looks like. Because if he ends up being a defensive liability, it’s a lot tougher to hide without standout production on the other end.

Maybe he’ll prove the doubters wrong because some solid individual moments showed, but they were few and far between. I guess it will be more in demand at the NBA level?

For me, favoring Flemings for Sacramento is more about picking the type of player you want to restart your franchise with. I’m more confident in Flemings ability to make his teammates better, even if his on-ball creation upside may be a bit lower.

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

7. Keaton Wagler – 6’5″ guard (Illinois)

Wagler is a different style of player from the previous two. Also a true freshman, he led Illinois to a Final Four appearance with 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.

Converting 44.5% from the field isn’t particularly impressive, but 39.7% from three on 5.9 attempts, with plenty of them self-created, certainly is. Being a bit taller than the other mentioned has its advantages for getting shots off, but he is also stylistically varied.

Not equipped with typical NBA speed, athleticism, or strength, Wagler relied more on decisive, quick movements, advanced footwork, good balance, and an understanding of how to get open, which made him look more experienced than his freshman status would suggest.

To put it simply, he looks like an NBA player out there. To draw a Kings’ comparison, his style of play (not his ceiling) somewhat reminded me of Bogdan Bogdanovic. Just patiently working their way to their spots while always being a threat to shoot.

While crafty enough around the basket to get 5.8 trips to the free-throw line per game, he’ll likely need to get stronger or at least better at playing through contact if he’s going to become a true three-level scorer.

Wagler’s playmaking also seems to be a skillset that people were divided on, but between live dribble reads with both hands, skip, pocket, and lob passes, it seemed like the surface of that could be fine-tuned into a more reliable skill.

Defensively, he didn’t particualy standout. Having decent height and a 6’6″ wingspan seemed to be more effective against guards, as larger players would drive through him more often. At the very least, I think Wagler will be an offensively impactful hybrid guard, but if he can either gain more strength or prove he can play through contact, a star outcome could be within reach.

More Sactown Scouting Reports

• The Pace, Poise, and Playmaking of Kingston Flemings
• Sactown Scouting Report: The Star-Swing Case for Darius Acuff Jr.
• Sactown Scouting Report: Second-Round Guards To Consider
• Sactown Scouting Report: The Unorthodox Upside of Keaton Wagler

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

• Tuesday, June 23rd – NBA Draft (Round 1)
• Wednesday, June 24th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
• Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
• Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
• Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official

Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

DeMar DeRozan Reportedly Agrees To Deal With DenverFaithful Flashbacks #14: Three-Peat DeniedGeorge Kittle gets encouraging news after visit with surgeonJerry Reynolds Names His Favorite Free Agent Linked To KingsZach LaVine has a chance to rebuild his value in SacramentoFaithful Flashbacks #15: Mr. Relevant