As Sacramento Kings fans lock into March Madness, the stakes go beyond brackets.
With the Kings trending toward a lottery pick, HoopObsession’s Bobby Gerould joined Sactown Sports to break down a 2026 NBA Draft class loaded with intrigue — and potential fits in Sacramento.
Gerould made it clear right away this year’s tournament offers more evaluators — and Kings fans — a deeper pool to study.
“I think you’re spot on… compared to last year and maybe the year before that, it definitely — there’s more beef there. There’s a lot to look at, a lot of different players that are probably lottery picks that are in the tournament.”
At the top of the class is BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, a wing who Gerould views as an elite offensive engine. Dybantsa leads NCAA Division I in scoring this season (25.3 points per game).
“He’s amazing… I haven’t seen a guy in the college game that can do some of the things he can do offensively in a while… he’s just a bucket-getter. He has a chance to be a leading scorer in the NBA someday.”
(Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
Another name to watch closely for the Sacramento Kings is North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, who Gerould believes brings a rare two-way impact.
“I really like Caleb Wilson. I think he has a chance to affect winning and losing, maybe more so than some of these other guys.
“He impacts offense and defense… some of the things he does in the open court — it’s a play that only a handful of people in the world could have made.”
Gerould also highlighted Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. as one of the most dynamic — and polarizing — prospects in the class.
“It’s not just that he’s a scorer… he has an assist-to-turnover ratio better than three-to-one… which you just don’t see very often from a guy who’s such a prolific scorer.”
At the same time, Acuff’s defensive shortcomings remain part of the evaluation.
“He often loses sight of the ball… loses sight of his man… it drives me crazy. But they’re all correctable, teachable things.”
Enjoy 4 plus minutes of Darius Acuff Jr. throwing lobs
17.5% of Acuff’s total assists have been lobs during his freshman campaign. The touch, timing, creativity, degree of difficulty on some of these lobs is top tier stuff. Just an incredibly dynamic offensive player. pic.twitter.com/izgUjczPaf
— NBA Draft Dude 🤙 (@CoreyTulaba) March 17, 2026
Gerould’s current board includes a clear top tier, with players like Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer rounding out that group.
“I think there’s five really good ones… and then you get to Cameron Boozer — that’s probably where I would draw a line.”
For the Sacramento Kings, where they land in the lottery could shape everything. Still, Gerould emphasized that the class has depth even beyond the top names.
“I think there’s a drop-off after five, for sure. But that’s not to say that there are not good players there.”
With March Madness serving as a proving ground, the evaluation process is just heating up for Gerould and Kings fans who are looking forward to seeing which player could be heading to Sacramento this summer.
“It is a unique opportunity to see a bunch of these guys in super meaningful games… and see how they respond to all the pressure.”
Check out the full interview with Hoop Obession’s Bobby Gerould by scrolling to the top of the page or by clicking here.
Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
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When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will continue a three-game homestand on Thursday night when they face the Philadelphia 76ers. at Golden 1 Center.
Philadelphia claimed the lone regular-season matchup between these two teams on January 29th, winning by a final of 113-111 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Philadelphia 76ers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 7:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Thursday, March 19th vs. Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, March 22nd vs. Brooklyn Nets – 3:00 PM PT
Tuesday, March 24th – @ Charlotte Hornets – 4:00 PM PT
Thursday, March 26th – @ Orlando Magic – 4:00 PM PT
Saturday, March 28th – @ Brooklyn Nets – 4:00 PM PT
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