Alex Karaban to Kings After Cavs Trade, Watch Highlights of No. 29 Pick in 2026 NBA Draft

UConn forward Alex Karaban was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday.

The Kings traded up to acquire the pick in a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Cleveland received the No. 34 overall selection and a future second-round choice from Sacramento as part of the swap.

Karaban spent his entire college career with the Huskies, winning two national championships.

During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 13.2 points and 5.3 rebounds to go along with 2.4 assists per game. Karaban shot 46.4 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from behind the arc and 85.1 percent on free throws.

Here's a look at his March Madness highlights throughout his tenure at UConn.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman compared Karaban to Boston Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser.

"NBA teams will eye Alex Karaban for the same role he played during Connecticut's three Final Four runs," Wasserman wrote. "He has some fans for his ability to make spot-up and movement threes, cut through defenses and play mistake-free ball."

At 23 years old, Karaban is older than most of his fellow draft prospects in the 2026 class.

Still, his consistent shooting can help him immediately contribute as part of Sacramento's rotation as a rookie.

Karaban connected on 37.4 percent of his triples throughout his four seasons at UConn while attempting 5.2 long-range shots per game.

He also showcased his shooting accuracy at the NBA draft combine. Karaban shot 74.8 percent across all shooting drills during the event, representing the best mark among all participants (h/t draft expert Jonathan Givony).

Now, he'll join a Kings squad coming off a 22-60 finish during their 2025-26 campaign.