It’s Day 2 of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Sacramento Kings were active on Day 1, taking an anticipated franchise cornerstone prospect in Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7 and pairing another shooter and winning role player with him at No. 29 in Alex Karaban, following a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers sending the No. 34 pick and a future second round pick.
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Sacramento aims to follow up on its first round wins in the second round. The Kings have the No. 45 pick in the second round of the NBA Draft.
The second round has a wide variety pool of talent featuring some players that can help contribute to a NBA team in the immediate future and others might need a year or two.
The Kings need guys who are defensive-minded. They are stacked at the wings. It would be ideal for Sacramento to target a big or another guard to backup Acuff.
Here’s a list of players that the Kings should look to select if they’re available:
More: Best players available in 2026 NBA Draft: Who is worth taking in Round 2?
Who should the Sacramento Kings target in round 2?
There is a bevy of guys that can contribute to a team like the Kings. Guys can contribute to secondary roles where they find their niche within a team whether it’s as a knockdown shooter, board man, hustle guy, playmaker or lockdown defender. The Kings focus lies within perimeter defenders, interior defenders and additional ball-handlers. These following players fit within that mold.
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Henri Veesaar (North Carolina, Forward): Veesaar likely won’t be available but the Tar Heels big man is an example of what the Kings should look for.
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Braden Smith (Purdue, Guard): Smith is someone who can facilitate with the best of them. The proof? He finished his collegiate career as the NCAA Division I career assists leader with 1,103.
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Emanuel Sharp (Houston, Guard): Sharp is sharp offensively. The two-guard is a true shooting guard. He can knock it down from deep, he can slash and get to the rim. He averaged 15.5 points for the Houston Cougars. However, an area that needs improvement is shooting percentage, averaging 41% from the field.
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Felix Okpara (Tennessee, Big): Okpara played a huge role for Tennessee, as an anchor to their defense. If that translates to the NBA, the Kings could beef their frontline with aggressors who play physical, giving Sacramento an edge.
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Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia, Big): Onyenso could be a project but with huge defensive upside. He led the ACC in blocks and ranked second nationally with 2.92 swats per game in 2025-26 in just 18.6 minutes.
2026 NBA Draft: Best available players
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Meleek Thomas (Arkansas, Guard)
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Henri Veesaar (North Carolina, Forward)
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Jack Kayil (International, Guard)
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Trevon Brazile (Arkansas, Forward)
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Bruce Thornton (Ohio St., Guard)
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Braden Smith (Purdue, Guard)
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Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia, Big)
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Emanuel Sharp (Houston, Guard)
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Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee, Guard)
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Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida, Big)
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Felix Okpara (Tennessee, Big)
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Nick Martinelli (Northwestern, Wing)
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Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt, Wing)
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Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee St., Wing)
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Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA, Forward)
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Rafael Castro (George Washington, Big)
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Tobi Lawal (Virginia Tech, Big)
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Quadir Copeland (N.C. State, Guard)
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Nate Bittle (Oregon, Big)
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Keyshawn Hall (Auburn, Wing)
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Vsevolod Ishchenko (International, Guard)
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Noam Yaacov (International, Guard)
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Nick Boyd (Wisconsin, Guard)
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Duke Miles (Vanderbilt, Guard)
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Jaden Henley (Grand Canyon, Wing)
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Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue, Big)
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Jalen Washington (Vanderbilt, Big)
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Mark Mitchell (Missouri, Wing)
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Seth Trimble (North Carolina, Guard)
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Elijah Mahi (Santa Clara, Wing)
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Kowacie Reeves Jr. (Georgia Tech, Wing)
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Donovan Atwell (Texas Tech, Guard)
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Michael Ajayi (Butler, Big)
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William Kyle III (Syracuse, Big)
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Robert McCray V (Florida St., Guard)
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Lajae Jones (Florida St., Wing)
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Wyatt Fricks (Marshall, Forward)
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Tre Donaldson (Miami FL, Guard)
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B.J. Edwards (SMU, Guard)
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Chad Baker-Mazara (USC, Forward)
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Malique Lewis (International, Forward)
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Jaylin Sellers (Providence, Wing)
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Carson Cooper (Michigan St., Big)
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Corey Camper Jr. (Nevada, Wing)
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Melvin Council Jr. (Kansas, Guard)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Who should Sacramento Kings draft in second round of NBA Draft?
