Kings Reportedly Considering Two Veteran Nba Guards To Mentor Darius Acuff Jr.

Kings reportedly considering two veteran NBA guards to mentor Darius Acuff Jr. originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings used their No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on who they hope will be their point guard of the future in Darius Acuff Jr. The question, however, has been what kind of players Sacramento will place around the rookie.

The Kings waived 36-year-old DeMar DeRozan with one year left on his contract, which made it seem like the team was embracing the youth movement.

However, Sacramento is “weighing the prospect” of bringing back Russell Westbrook or signing Victor Oladipo as a veteran point guard to mentor Acuff, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Monday, citing a league source.

Westbrook reveled in a leadership role for the Kings during the 2025-26 NBA season. After signing a one-year contract and expected to be the team’s backup, the 37-year-old eventually turned into Sacramento’s starting point guard.

The 18-year veteran played 64 games with Sacramento (58 starts) and averaged 15.2 points on 42.7-percent shooting, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per game.

At his end-of-season press conference, Westbrook said he wouldn’t mind rejoining Sacramento if the opportunity presented itself.

As for Oladipo, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft hasn’t played a game in the pros since the 2022-23 season and hasn’t played more than 42 games in a season since 2017-18, when he was a member of the Indiana Pacers.

The 34-year-old, who played for the G League Wisconsin Herd in 2025-26, recently held a workout in Las Vegas during summer league and the Kings were present, Fischer noted.

Whether the Kings decide to bring Westbrook back or add Oladipo, it seems the team is focused on not only putting Acuff in position to lead the team, but also to receive some knowledge from veteran guards along the way.

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