Emmanuel Sharp expected to get real minutes as a rookie in Sacramento

Emmanuel Sharp is expected to play meaningful minutes for the Sacramento Kings in his NBA rookie season, according to a new report that also praised the team’s draft. Sharp, selected 45th overall in the 2026 draft, joined Danny Avdija, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf as another Israeli player projected to be in the NBA in the 2026/27 season. While a second-round pick does not guarantee a roster spot, Sacramento’s young rebuilding profile gives him a strong chance to be on the floor as early as October.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic gave the Kings an A+ for their draft and said Sharp should see real playing time because Sacramento is likely to be a weak team. He described Sharp as Houston’s second-winningest player in program history, calling him an excellent three-point shooter and a tremendous defender who won individual Big 12 honors. Vecenie added that the Kings need players who do the little things, and said both Sharp and 29th pick Alex Karaban fit that mold.

Vecenie opened by focusing on seventh overall pick guard Darius Acuff Jr., saying it is important that a top talent wanted to come to Sacramento instead of elsewhere. He said Acuff has the potential to become a strong lead guard and an All-Star-level player. He also noted that the Kings surrounded Acuff with winners in the draft, pointing to Karaban and Donovan Clingan, and said Sacramento’s draft was the second-favorite in the NBA after Memphis.

The Kings also announced that Sharp will wear No. 34, the number he used throughout high school. At Houston he wore No. 21, and with Israel’s cadet national team he wore No. 4. Acuff will wear No. 5.