Team: Sacramento Kings · Age: 23 · Position: SF/PF · As of: 2026-07-18
2026-27 median projection
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 7.0 | .440 | .850 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Nine-cat: outside top 220 in year one. Points: D-. Dynasty: 5.0/10; useful in deep category leagues.
Role and evidence
Sacramento acquired the No. 29 pick for No. 34 and a 2032 second. The official trade release cites Karaban's 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 46.4/37.4/85.1 shooting over 40 UConn games. UConn also recorded 33 steals and 33 blocks (player biography), giving him a broad but low-volume category base.
ESPN lists Karaban third at small forward and fifth at power forward (depth chart). He returned to 2026 Summer League after a right-ankle sprain; the current model treats that as resolved but retains normal rookie availability uncertainty.
Range
- Ceiling: 9 points, 1.8 threes, and useful percentages in 20 minutes after a forward trade.
- Median: low-minute stretch reserve and development player.
- Floor: too slow defensively for regular minutes and outside the active rotation.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Five years at UConn, redshirting 2021-22 and then playing four seasons.
| Season | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 39 | 28.9 | 9.3 | 4.5 | 1.7 | .476 | .402 | .809 |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 31.4 | 13.3 | 5.1 | 1.5 | .495 | .379 | .885 |
| 2024-25 | 33 | 35.9 | 14.3 | 5.3 | 2.8 | .438 | .347 | .828 |
| 2025-26 | 40 | 34.3 | 13.2 | 5.3 | 2.4 | .464 | .374 | .851 |
Two-time national champion (2023, 2024), three Final Fours, 18 NCAA tournament wins, and the winningest men's player in UConn history, inducted into Huskies of Honor in February 2026. First-team All-Big East in 2026 and second-team in 2025. The senior year added 33 steals and 33 blocks across 40 games — a broad but low-volume defensive base. Draft: 2026, first round, 29th overall by Cleveland; traded to Sacramento for the 34th pick and a future second-round selection.
NBA record: None. Karaban has not appeared in an NBA regular-season game. His most recent competitive season is the 2025-26 UConn line above, plus 2026 Summer League, which he returned to after a right-ankle sprain.
Durability: Four college seasons of 33 to 40 games with no extended absence; the 33 in 2024-25 is the only dip. The one recent note is the right-ankle sprain that interrupted his 2026 Summer League, treated as resolved.
Trajectory: Four years of stable, efficient production — a career .476 college shooter who cleared 37 percent from three in three of four seasons and 85 percent at the line, on a program that won constantly. That is a translatable offensive skill set and the reason a 23-year-old senior went 29th. The doubt is entirely defensive foot speed at either forward spot, which is what keeps him behind Hunter, Murray and Achiuwa. He projects as a low-minute development stretch four whose category profile (threes, FG%, FT%) scales cleanly if the minutes ever arrive; the specific trigger is Sacramento trading a veteran forward, at which point 20 minutes would yield roughly 9 points and 1.8 threes.
Career sources: Wikipedia · Kings trade release · UConn player biography · The UConn Blog draft report
Open questions
- Is Karaban quick enough to defend NBA threes and fours?
- Will Sacramento create a real rookie role or keep Hunter, Murray, and Achiuwa ahead of him all year?