The Sacramento Kings targeted proven perimeter firepower in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, selecting University of Houston guard Emanuel Sharp with the No. 45 overall pick.
Sharp arrives in California following a historic four-year collegiate stint under Kelvin Sampson, where he helped elevate the Cougars into a perennial national title contender. While his elite distance shooting immediately projects as an asset for the Kings' rotation, the 6-foot-3 guard also brings one of the most compelling international backstories to the 2026 draft class.
Born in Tel Aviv, Sharp holds rare triple citizenship across Israel, the United States, and Canada. His addition to the Western Conference further expands a flourishing contingent of Israeli talent currently making waves across the NBA.
Sharp joins a growing league fraternity that features Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, alongside Brooklyn Nets young core pieces Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf.
Athletic pedigree runs exceptionally deep in the rookie’s family. His father, Derrick Sharp, is a legendary figure in international basketball, having put together an iconic professional career with Maccabi Tel Aviv. After becoming a naturalized citizen, the elder Sharp represented Israel on the international stage, directly inspiring his son's early basketball trajectory.
According to Sportsnet.ca, although being born in Israel, Sharp's "ties to Canada run deep through his mother Justine Ellison Sharp, a Hamilton, Ontario native."
His mother played basketball at the University of Toronto and in 2009 was inducted into the Varsity Blues Hall of Fame. She led Toronto to two national silver medals and was named the women's university athlete of the year in her senior season (1995-96).
Growing up immersed in the professional game prepared Sharp for a highly decorated collegiate career. He departs Houston as the program’s second-winningest player of all time and its most prolific distance shooter.
During a February matchup against Utah, Sharp drilled a career-high eight 3-pointers to eclipse Marcus Sasser as the Cougars' all-time leader in successful conversions from beyond the arc. The milestone bucket was buried from nearly 30 feet out. He ultimately concluded his collegiate tenure with 277 made three-pointers.
Sharp steadily expanded his offensive role each season in Houston. After a quiet freshman year averaging 5.9 points, he posted back-to-back sophomore and junior campaigns averaging 12.6 points. He saved his finest performance for his senior year, leading the Cougars' perimeter attack with 15.5 points per game on 37.2% shooting from deep and an exceptional 89.1% clips from the free-throw line.