Kings send new representative to 2021 NBA Draft Lottery to change franchise’s fortunes
The Kings have sent a long line of former players, coaches, executives and owners to the NBA Draft Lottery over the years in hopes of changing the franchise’s fortunes. Now, that job belongs to general manager Monte McNair.
McNair will represent the Kings during Tuesday’s virtual draft lottery, a team source told The Sacramento Bee. The Kings enter the lottery with a 4.5% chance of the No. 1 pick and a 20.3% chance of landing in the top four, but it’s more likely they will make their selection at No. 9 (46.4%) or No. 10 (29.4%).
The lottery will air live on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic each have a 14% chance of being awarded the No. 1 pick.
McNair will represent the Kings in the lottery for the first time after being hired in September to replace former general manager Vlade Divac. Point guard De’Aaron Fox represented the team in 2018, when the Kings received the No. 2 pick, and again in 2020, when they received the No. 12 pick, which McNair used to select Tyrese Haliburton out of Iowa State.
Past representatives included Dave Joerger (2017), Willie Cauley-Stein (2016), Divac (2015), Anjali Ranadive (2014), Keith Smart (2013) and Adrienne Maloof (2012).
