With all due respect to the Sacramento Kings, they have begun their 2025-26 NBA season without the strongest roster that they could have had. A player on their summer league roster this season, for example, could have been an upgrade.
The player in question is – or was – Jo Lual-Acuil. The 7-foot 31-year-old South Sudanese-Australian center played with the Kings over the summer, his second such appearance in Vegas after also getting a run out with the Phoenix Suns in 2022. And he was good for them, too, averaging 16.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
30 years old at the time, Lual-Acuil should of course have been a cut above the summer league field, and needed to be if ever he was to make an NBA roster. The fact that he has yet to make an NBA roster, though, does not mean he is incapable. As a modern-era five, Lual-Acuil has the tools.
The NBA Remains One Level Away
After beginning his career at Neosho County Community College in Kansas, Lual-Acuil made his way to Baylor, where he averaged 14.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game as a senior. Despite this, he went undrafted in 2018, with a mix of late development and the perception that he was an older, less polished prospect for an NBA center meaning he had to earn his way in via the back door.
Lual-Acuil began that slog by first going to Israel, where he played for Hapoel Jerusalem, before moving to Australia, where he became a key figure for three seasons with Melbourne United. Across these stops, he further developed his Baylor reputation as a mobile big man capable of running the floor, finishing strong at the rim and protecting the basket – all hallmarks of the modern day five man.
In the 2024-25 season with Manisa BBSK in Turkey, Lual-Acuil averaged 17.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 59% from the field. His best stretch came immediately prior to that in the Basketball Africa League, where he was named both the leagueâs MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2024. Playing for South Sudanâs Al-Ahly Benghazi, Lual-Acuil averaged roughly 21.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. His impact was, as ever, two-way: he altered shots inside, ran in transition and finished efficiently off the pick-and-roll. That performance caught international attention, got him back into summer league, and helped fuel the notion that he might still have an NBA ceiling, even in his thirties.
After briefly going to Turkey, China, Lebanon and the BAL, Lual-Acuil – a member of the South Sudanese national team – is now back in Australia, the country in which he grew up. Now playing for the Perth Wildcats, he is the Evan Mobley to Bryce Cotton’s Donovan Mitchell, averaging 18.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game on the season so far. Everywhere he has been, Lual-Acuil has been an impact player. The question is whether he has one more level left in him – or if it is too late now.
Lual-Acuil’s Last Chance
Physically, Lual-Acuil possesses many of the traits NBA teams still covet in reserve big men. He stands seven feet tall with a 7’6 wingspan, moves fluidly for his size, and has the frame to contest shots without fouling. Offensively, he operates mostly as a rim runner and post finisher, with a mid-range jumper that has adequately developed through years of pro experience, and which he will stretch out to three-point range if you let him. He is not a modern stretch five by NBA standards, certainly, but his efficiency inside and ability to anchor a defense remain valuable assets.
Still, Lual-Acuil’s age represents a significant barrier to entry. Most teams prefer younger players they can develop over time, and Lual-Acuilâs window to make an impression is narrower than most. He would not be a developmental project, but rather as an immediate-impact option, someone who could provide depth off the bench, rebound, protect the rim and give short bursts of energy. And he does not have the experience of NBA defensive schemes to easily pull that off.
Nonetheless, the market for players like him does exist. Over the past decade, several big men in their late twenties and early thirties have earned NBA roster spots after strong international seasons, such as Aron Baynes, Gustavo Ayón and Ekpe Udoh. Lual-Acuil fits that profile; proven overseas, versatile enough to defend and rebound, and mature enough to adapt to a limited role. If he continues to perform at his current level, it is conceivable that a team could offer him a short-term deal or a two-way contract, once his time with the Wildcats is done. (The Australian season ends early, so there exists a chance.)
At 31, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. may not have the luxury of time, but his skill set and production mean he still belongs in the conversation. The odds are not overwhelming, but neither are they negligible.
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