NBA Rumors: The 3 Mentors Sacramento Kings are Looking for to Develop Darius Acuff Jr
The California franchise has high hopes for its rookie, which is why it is considering acquiring Victor Oladipo, Cameron Payne, or Elfrid Payton.
The Sacramento Kings will face the upcoming season with Darius Acuff Jr. as one of the key figures to lead the team's offense. The franchise trusts the seventh pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, who will have the opportunity to play many minutes and compete for the Rookie of the Year award.
However, while preparing an important role for the young point guard, the Kings also seem to be exploring the free agent market for a veteran player who can mentor Acuff.
Sacramento tests several veteran point guards
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Sacramento has started to organize workouts with several experienced point guards this summer.
Cam Payne has been one of the players who has worked out with the Kings, after team representatives also attended a private workout of Victor Oladipo. In addition to the interest shown in Oladipo and Payne, another name being considered by the organization is Elfrid Payton, currently a free agent.
The intention seems to be to find an experienced figure who can support Acuff in his first season in the NBA, while the young point guard takes on a significant workload in directing the team.
Elfrid Payton, another option on the table
Payton, 32, did not play any games in the NBA last season. In the 2025-26 season, he split his time between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Charlotte Hornets, participating in only 24 games.
In those games, he averaged 3.5 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game.
During the past season, he also played for the Austin Spurs in the NBA G-League, where he participated in 29 games and averaged 6.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.
Payne, Oladipo, and Payton are, therefore, some of the veterans that the Kings are considering as they prepare for the upcoming season and look for a figure who can provide experience alongside Darius Acuff Jr.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: Los 3 mentores que busca Sacramento Kings para formar a Darius Acuff Jr.
