The Sacramento Kings made it very clear why they traded up to select former UConn star Alex Karaban with the 29th overall pick in last week’s NBA Draft.
His experience as both a basketball player and a leader was critical to an organization in the early stages of a rebuild, still setting a foundation as it enters its second year with Scott Perry as general manager and Doug Christie as full-time head coach.
“Alex Karaban was one of the most accomplished players in college basketball,” Perry said in the introductory press conference for the Kings’ draftees on Monday. “He’s the winningest player in UConn Husky history – that says a lot. Two-time national champion, so he brings a winning pedigree, he’s an outstanding shooter, he’s a connector. He does all of the little things that are important when we’re talking about winning basketball games.”
Karaban heard the “culture” word plenty when speaking with the Kings in the pre-draft process. After four years of meeting Dan Hurley’s standards and two as captain, managing the pressure of expectations with the Huskies, he may have been the most qualified player in the draft.
The Kings introduce their draft picks in Sacramento, Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban & Emanuel Sharp greeted by Keegan Murray & Dylan Cardwell prior to taking the stage. pic.twitter.com/EUSyxNTY7M
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) June 29, 2026
“Coach Hurley, he changed my life and I wouldn’t be here without him,” Karaban told Sacramento media Monday afternoon, after he was welcomed by fans at the airport Sunday night. “Just the tough love that he instilled every single day, he just pushed me to be a better person and player at the same time. And I mean, those practices, the daily habits that we had every single day, those core values that he instilled in me is something that I want to carry over to this organization and just really get better at every single day, just knowing how hard it is to win, that’s something that I’m excited to bring here.”
Karaban sat at the dais with No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr., who starred as John Calipari’s freshman point guard at Arkansas, and No. 45 overall pick Emanuel Sharp, who played four years under Kelvin Sampson at Houston.
He and Sharp are the third and fourth four-year college players drafted in the last two years by Perry.
“Those guys have been through a lot in college. You heard them reference the practice time, and I’ve witnessed the practices at UConn and Houston, so when you talk about being battle-tested, they have been battle-tested in that,” Perry said. “Look, there’s a lot of talent in this league, but I have found during my 26 years in the league that that can be a separator, guys who understand how to play, how to fit with different teammates’ skill sets. So yes, we do value that at a very high level.”
Karaban said the most underrated part of his game is his basketball IQ.
“Just processing plays and seeing things develop before they actually happen,” he said. “Especially during my time at UConn, we had a bunch of plays, a bunch of sets, and a lot of read and reacting.”
His proficiency in that element of the game not only helped turn Hurley’s complicated offense into one of the most efficient in college basketball, but it helped him become the first active player inducted into the Huskies of Honor, where his No. 11 hangs.
Alex Karaban has touched down in Sac 🛬
get the first look at Karaban and other Kings rookies at California Classic on July 4-6!
Player Arrivals presented by @FlySMF pic.twitter.com/mtV1bwsW6d
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) June 29, 2026
He will wear No. 33 in Sacramento.
Why?
“Coach Hurley called me ‘Larry Bird’ a lot,” the Southborough, Mass. native said. “And a couple of my options were taken, so I went 33. As a Boston kid, too, you’re surrounded by Larry Bird memories and just everything about him, so I just went with that.”
The No. 11 was already taken by 6-foot-10 forward, Domantas Sabonis, who’s been with the Kings since 2022. He was one of the new teammates who quickly reached out to welcome Karaban to Sacramento, along with Nique Clifford, Precious Achiuwa and Keegan Murray, who Karaban has gotten to know well throughout the draft process.
“Just watching him play, the way he shoots and just the way he’s been able to make an impact ever since he stepped into this organization. He’s someone I’m excited to learn fro and really just spend more time with,” Karaban said of Murray.
His first goal is to figure out how he best fits at the next level.
That process will start in Summer League, as he wears the Kings uniform for the first time in the California Classic on Fourth of July weekend. He plans to win that, and then he plans to win Vegas Summer League the next week, while showcasing the different ways he can impact and elevate the main roster.
“Winning is always No. 1 for me,” Karaban said.
He won 126 games over four years with the Huskies, of course including his remarkable 18-2 record in the NCAA Tournament. The Kings haven’t done so much winning lately, but Karaban plans to help change that.
“I think hearing your name called, that’s kind of like the moment when you realize you’ve made it,” he said. “But now it’s just, how can I stay in the league? How can I make an impact? And just developing a routine on a daily basis to get better.”
