By the time Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie landed in San Francisco on Tuesday night, the space between his team and the player he'd flown to Spain to scout, point guard Ricky Rubio, was far greater than he had hoped.

And it had nothing to do with geography.

A text message delivered the unwanted news about the event that concluded while he was in the air: The Kings, who entered Tuesday's draft lottery in Secaucus, N.J., with the best chance of any team at picking first and nabbing consensus top player Blake Griffin of Oklahoma but would have been pleased with the No. 2 pick that so many pundits saw as Rubio's slot, would pick in their worst possible position of fourth in the June 25 draft in New York.

"Whatever level of disappointment there is, even if you were going in with the best chance (at picking first), you've got to put that behind you," Petrie said by phone. "You continue to build on all of the work you've already done in the draft, and continue to prepare."

After the Kings suffered through a franchise-worst 17-win campaign, such an anticlimactic end was surely harder on the team's business operation than the basketball portion. With a season-ticket base that has dwindled badly, there was a belief that picking in the top two could spark much-needed excitement and increased fan interest.

What's more, the Kings' vacant head-coaching position may have become less attractive because of their lottery fortune. On that front, Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof told The Bee the coaching search that to this point has included interviews with Eddie Jordan and Paul Westphal will expand to include Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau and Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis. Reports have linked Jordan, Rambis and Thibodeau to the 76ers' coaching search as well. Maloof said no interview dates had been set.

With a dire need for improved point-guard play and some of the sizzle Rubio is expected to deliver, the Kings may not be out of the Rubio sweepstakes just yet. The Clippers were awarded the first pick and are expected to take Griffin. Memphis picks second, and the improved play of point guard and 2007 No. 4 pick Mike Conley could mean the Grizzlies pass on Rubio and instead opt for 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut. The more mysterious spot is third, where Oklahoma City has a productive young point man in Russell Westbrook and a need to improve its frontline that went unfulfilled thanks to an aborted midseason trade for New Orleans center Tyson Chandler. The counterargument from those who expect the Thunder to select Rubio, of course, is that Westbrook is not a true point guard and Rubio would take their offense to a new level.

Whether or not Rubio is available, Petrie said he liked what he saw in his second trip to see the 18-year-old who plays for DKV Joventut.

"He's a creative player," Petrie said. "He's got some leadership ability, and he's a true point guard. … He's a talent."

The Kings' first draft workout Thursday will feature UCLA freshman point guard Jrue Holiday, and he is surely among the possibilities to be taken with the pick. With the always-present question of whether talent or need takes precedence, the Kings – who also have the No. 23 and No. 31 picks in the draft – also are believed to be high on Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn, Memphis shooting guard Tyreke Evans and USC shooting guard DeMar DeRozan.

There may be incentive to trade down in the draft as well, with many league executives seeing a drop in talent after the first three picks and the potential to land a quality pick elsewhere in the top 10 while also landing other talent in an acquisition.

"There's still a lot of work to do with the players and the workouts, talking to other teams and finding out what you think your options are on any of those fronts," Petrie said. "All we know now is the order of the draft."

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