Sacramento Kings keep quiet about NBA Draft preparation, but top prospects are talking
Nineteen of the top prospects in next week’s NBA Draft have participated in Zoom calls with reporters over the past three days. Eleven more are scheduled to join the calls in the days leading up to the draft.
Each player has been peppered with questions about which teams they’ve worked out for. The unusual pre-draft process has been conducted behind closed doors and cloaked in secrecy due to the pandemic. A few players revealed they’ve met with the Kings in video conferences, but so far none have disclosed in-person evaluations with Sacramento.
“I have not talked to Sacramento yet,” Vanderbilt small forward Aaron Nesmith said. “I’m supposed to talk to them extremely soon.”
There’s good to reason to wonder what Kings general manager Monte McNair plans to do with the No. 12 pick in the draft. McNair could make the pick when the Kings are on the clock Wednesday evening, trade it for future assets or include it in a bigger package as part of a draft-day blockbuster to bring some star power to Sacramento.
The NBA is allowing teams to make a total of 10 visits with prospects — no more than two visits per player — for in-person workouts and medical evaluations. The Kings have been very quiet about their work leading up to the draft, but players are talking and curious observers are searching for clues.
The 19 prospects who have met with the media thus far include all 15 players projected between No. 5 and No. 19 in HoopsHype.com’s latest aggregate mock draft. The list includes Obi Toppin, Tyrese Haliburton, Isaac Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu, Killian Hayes, Devin Vassell, Patrick Williams, Precious Achiuwa, Nesmith, Saddiq Bey, R.J. Hampton, Kira Lewis, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Smith and Cole Anthony.
Some combination of these players will be on the board when — or if — the Kings make their selection at No. 12. Achiuwa, Hampton, Lewis and Maxey said they’ve spoken to the Kings via Zoom and Nesmith said he was scheduled to speak to them by the end of the week, but they hadn’t done in-person workouts with Sacramento.
Hayes and Vassell said they had not met with the Kings in any fashion. Okongwu, Williams and Bey declined to specify which teams they’ve met or worked out with.
There have been times during Sacramento’s 14-year playoff drought when agents refused to allow their clients to work out for the Kings due to the organization’s struggles. The Athletic’s John Hollinger recently reported “rumors that some agents are specifically avoiding the Kings for workouts and interviews” again this year.
The apparent lack of in-person evaluations may or may not signal Sacramento’s intention to trade the No. 12 pick, but the Kings will have options even if they choose from the known group of point guards, combo guards and combo forwards they’ve met with via video conference. Achiuwa, Nesmith, Hampton, Lewis and Maxey all fall in the 12-17 range in the HoopsHype.com aggregate mock draft.
Achiuwa, 21, is a versatile 6-9, 225-pound forward from Memphis with an enormous 7-2¼ wingspan. NBADraftRoom.com describes him as a “big wing/combo forward with elite level athletic ability.” Others note his ability to play center in small-ball lineups.
Nesmith, 21, is a 6-6, 213-pound swingman from Vanderbilt who is capable of playing either shooting guard or small forward. He shot 52.5% from 3-point range last season and is regarded as perhaps the best shooter in the draft, drawing comparisons to Kings guard Buddy Hield. CBSSports.com called Nesmith an “elite scorer from any distance and from any situation.”
Hampton, 19, is a 6-5, 185-pound combo guard who bypassed the college game to play professionally with the New Zealand Breakers in the National Basketball League. Hampton put up modest numbers in New Zealand but was a top high school prospect before going overseas.
Lewis, 19, is a speedy 6-3, 165-pound point guard from Alabama. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds last season, shooting 45.9% from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc. Some have drawn comparisons to Washington Wizards point guard John Wall and Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox.
Maxey, 20, is a 6-3, 198-pound point guard from Kentucky. He averaged 14 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season but shot just 29.2% from 3-point range. His shooting is inconsistent, but he is regarded as an elite on-ball defender.
This story was originally published November 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
