Four players Sacramento Kings could target with No. 12 pick in next week’s NBA Draft
The Kings are on the clock with one week remaining before the NBA Draft and there is little consensus about what the team should do with its first-round selection.
The Nov. 18 draft will be held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Kings have the No. 12 pick in what promises to be a wild and unpredictable draft.
Kings general manager Monte McNair will have little time to retool the roster with free agency set to begin Nov. 20, training camp expected to open Dec. 1 and the 2020-21 season scheduled to start Dec. 22, just in time for Christmas Day games and merchandise sales.
Sacramento’s lottery pick has reportedly been a topic of conversation in trade talks around the league, but this roundup of mock drafts presents some of the possibilities if the Kings keep their pick.
CBS Sports
Updated: Nov. 10
Sacramento Kings select: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt, 6-6, 213 pounds
Nesmith is a knockdown shooter with a smooth stroke. He put up impressive numbers before his sophomore season was cut short by a foot injury, averaging 23 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 52.2% from 3-point range. He is not the most dynamic athlete in the draft, but analysts note his basketball IQ is high and he might be the best shooter in this class.
Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports wrote: “With the futures of Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic uncertain in Sacramento, adding a flat-out knock-down 3-point shooter like Nesmith makes a lot of sense to space the floor for De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley.”
NBADraft.net
Updated: Nov. 9
Sacramento Kings select: Saddiq Bey, SF, Villanova, 6-8, 216 pounds
Bey is another floor-spacing wing who averaged 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 45.1% from 3-point range as a sophomore at Villanova. NBADraft.net called him an “elite catch and shoot perimeter player” with a “high motor” and a wingspan of nearly 7 feet. The website noted Bey is limited athletically and might have reached his peak developmentally, but he is a strong, determined and versatile defender who plays with relentless effort.
NBADraft.net wrote: “One of the more NBA ready players in this year’s draft because of his experience and style of play. … 3 and D Wing player who could find a role in the league as a glue guy. … Defensive ability could allow for impactful minutes as a rookie.”
Sports Illustrated
Updated: Oct. 14
Sacramento Kings select: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State, 6-7, 194 pounds
SI’s mock draft is due for an update, but Vassell is widely projected as a late lottery pick who could be chosen somewhere in the 10-12 range.
Vassell averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field and 41.5% from 3-point range as a sophomore at Florida State. He is an explosive athlete who can handle the ball, create off the dribble or pull up in transition.
Sports Illustrated wrote: “Sacramento is at a minor crossroads this offseason, with new GM Monte McNair taking over basketball operations and inheriting a roster in need of some reshaping. The Kings presently lack for defensive-minded pieces, and Vassell should be able to shore up the wing for just about any team, with plus length and the ability to keep defenses honest with the threat of his jumper.”
ESPN.com
Updated: Nov. 11
Sacramento Kings select: Patrick Williams, SF/PF, Florida State, 6-8, 225 pounds
Williams averaged only 9.2 points in 22 minutes per game and shot just 32% from 3-point range as a freshman at Florida State, but he has been described as a “freakish” combo forward with incredible upside, particularly at the defensive end. He was one of the more explosive athletes in the college ranks last season and possesses a 6-11 wingspan with the length, strength and athleticism to be a multipositional defender.
ESPN wrote: “One of the big winners of the pre-draft process, Williams could easily find himself picked much higher than No. 12. His physical tools, combined with the flashes he displayed as a multipositional defender and off-the-dribble shot-maker, give him significant upside to grow into. He fills a positional need for the Kings at the increasingly important combo forward position.”
