Today's NBA draft will present the Kings, a team that so badly needs to get it right, a complicated choice.

It's one that was made challenging after the May 19 lottery put them in the No. 4 position (in addition to their No. 23 and No. 31 picks).

Picking first would have been a no-brainer (Blake Griffin), second would have come with the luxury of targeting the best of the rest, and even No. 3 would have meant the lines of logic would be more clearly drawn.

It is no surprise, then, that the seemingly endless possibilities will likely be considered until the Kings are on the clock.

If the Kings don't trade their first pick – and league sources say they have been searching for a deal that would net a high-level veteran point guard for the fourth pick and other pieces – they will be picking from a group of players who have one thing in common: They're not the perfect fit.

The Kings are deliberating among players who each offer plenty of positives but whose weaknesses cloud the water.

"We're just not going to fill every need we have with one player this year – not that you ever can," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie said Wednesday night.

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans is believed to be the favorite, with his height (6-foot-5), strength and smooth scoring ways enticing the Kings to simply take the best player.

And while the selection would surely add to a talent pool that remains too shallow, questions about Evans' shooting ability and whether he can be an NBA point guard mean there would be more questions to come. Namely, how would his isolation style fit with Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin?

Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn continues to have an ardent fan base within the organization. His repute as a pure point guard and leader who can be extremely physical have helped his cause, but the question of his height (5-11) and his shot may inspire the Kings to go a different direction.

Davidson guard Stephen Curry offers another quandary. As the draft's best shooter, he would be a boon for the Kings' offense, but he's considered neither a distributing point guard nor a good defender.

Yet it's Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio who was seen by many as the perfect antidote to the Kings' problems. The Kings were ranked 27th in assists last season (19.7 per game) and the creative Rubio is widely considered the best passer in the draft, a true point guard who can make his teammates better.

Still, concerns arose there as well, from his age (18) to his questionable shot to a perception that the leadership qualities that are highly regarded in Europe would take time to translate in the NBA. There remains the matter of his current contract, too, as the negotiations for a reduction in his $6.6 million buyout with his team, DKV Joventut, have not been finalized as expected and may not be completed by today.

Rubio's situation is unique because of his international fame and potential drawing power locally. He has been the fan favorite among draft prospects in Sacramento, a fact that matters more now than ever considering the team finished last in the league in attendance last season and is in desperate need of help at the Arco Arena gate. Petrie, however, said the business side will always benefit by taking the best player.

"The business of basketball mainly is going to be contingent on us improving and starting to win more games," he said. "Whatever happens in this draft tomorrow, there is not going to be any absolute truth – only some people will say there is. The absolute truth will come down the road, when the truth becomes more self-evident."

Rubio's agent, Dan Fegan, has made his intentions clear as they pertain to the Kings – he has been looking to fulfill their desire to upgrade at point guard while placing his client in a California city seen as ideal with a team full of young players like him.

There was the financial factor as well, as Rubio was once widely seen as a No. 2 pick yet now faces the prospect of falling.

"My best guess at this point is that no one knows who the Kings will select because the process is not over," Fegan said.

"I've known Geoff for over 20 years, and in my experience he is a very deliberate thinker who will examine every aspect of a draft candidate and trade possibilities before he makes a final decision.

"That's one of the reasons why he has had so much success. Part of the process is using all the time available and not letting the media or other teams in on what you are truly thinking. Don't count Ricky out yet as a King, and don't count him in yet."

The various chatter around the league Wednesday reflected Fegan's sentiment, nowhere more so than in Minnesota. After the Timberwolves acquired the No. 5 pick from Washington, a league source said they offered Oklahoma City the No. 5 and their No. 18 to move up to No. 3 with the intent of picking Rubio.

Despite so many league executives and agents believing the Kings were targeting Evans, there were plenty who saw Rubio as their pick. The T-wolves, quite clearly, could believe they must move ahead of the Kings to pick Rubio.

"It's a little bit like seven-card stud," Petrie said. "You've got the flop, one card up and one more card to turn."

Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/kingsblog.