Sacramento Kings: A look back at NBA Draft history before 2017

With the 2017 NBA Draft fast approaching, it’s time to take a look at the draft history of the Sacramento Kings.

Less than a month remains before the 2017 NBA Draft and for the Sacramento Kings, the anticipation is steadily building.

Armed with both the fifth and 10th overall picks, the timing couldn’t have worked out better for the Kings to have two top-10 selections, considering how the top level talent in this year’s draft is being rated at this stage.

Of course, being in the lottery part of the draft hasn’t been out of the ordinary for the Kings in recent years, as this is their 11th straight trip doing so. In fact, trips to the lottery are practically built into the Kings’ DNA at this point when you comb through their draft history.

Out of the 33 seasons they’ve made their home in Sacramento, the Kings have been to the lottery 22 times.

Save for two brief playoff appearances in the 1985-86 season and the 1995-96 season, the Kings have only experienced one extended stretch where they haven’t been in the draft lottery, with those years spanning what is regarded as the team’s golden age from 1999-06.

For all the trips they’ve made to the lottery, however, the ping pong balls have rarely fallen in their favor as the Kings have only held the No. 1 overall pick once since being in Sacramento (the Kings selected big man Pervis Ellison first overall in 1989).

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Putting aside their lottery luck, the Kings have plenty of familiarity at both of the spots they hold picks in the first round.

This will be the third time the Kings have held the fifth overall pick as they previously selected DeMarcus Cousins at that spot in 2010, as well as Thomas Robinson back in 2012. Additionally, this will be the second time the Kings have held the 10th overall pick as they chose Spencer Hawes at that spot in 2007.

Although holding the 10th overall pick may not carry the same cache, there’s plenty of examples of teams striking it rich at that spot throughout multiple drafts historically.

For instance, current players like Paul George, Joe Johnson, C.J McCollum and Brook Lopez were each taken 10th overall. On top of that, Hall of Fame-caliber players like Paul Pierce, Gail Goodrich and Willis Reed were all taken at that spot in their respective drafts as well.

In addition to their two first round picks, the Kings also hold the 34th overall pick in the second round, the second time they’ve held that selection throughout their history.

But the Kings have had a rich history well before they moved to Sacramento, as they’ve previously been the Rochester Royals, Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City-Omaha Kings and finally, the Kansas City Kings.

Certainly, the most notable player drafted during any iteration of the Kings is Hall-of-Fame point guard Oscar Robertson, who was drafted first overall in the 1960 NBA Draft. Not far behind in his company, though, is also Hall of Fame point guard Nate “Tiny” Archibald, who was taken 19th overall in 1970.

Only time will tell whether any of the players the Kings draft on June 22 will join those ranks, whether they’ll go on to be fan favorites or whether they’ll even have All-Star level careers.

Next: 2017 NBA Mock Draft: Post-Lottery edition

Nonetheless, the excitement is building across the Kings’ fanbase and hopefully, this will be the start of something special for all fans and players alike.