Holding the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings will have their pick of the litter to add a high caliber prospect to their promising foundation. The question is, who that player will be?
It’s more than what they could have asked for, but getting the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft came at a price for the Sacramento Kings.
Heading into the draft lottery, the Kings had a 72.4 percent chance of landing eighth overall in regard to their own pick, since they finished with the eighth-worst record in the league this year. But with their selection tied to pick swaps with both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls, the Kings couldn’t afford for any draft lottery surprises.
As it turns out, one of those pick swaps ended up going into effect on the night of the lottery as the Kings’ pick vaulted into the top three, leapfrogging Philadelphia’s pick at No. 5 overall. Regardless of how we got here, the Kings now stand within the top-five of what is a highly regarded draft, which is a surefire upgrade considering where they were being projected.
Of course, that inevitably brings up the question of who the Kings will target at that spot.
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With the decision to deal DeMarcus Cousins at this year’s trade deadline, the Kings pressed the reset button and decided to start anew.
Luckily for them, they had the makings of a jumping off point with a foundation in place as all three of Buddy Hield, Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein displayed their promising potential over the second half of the season.
Now with not one, but two chances to add a premier — and possibly franchise-changing — talent, the Kings have clear needs they have to address in this year’s draft.
The timing to fill those needs and the surprising jump into the top five couldn’t have worked out better in the Kings’ favor and there’s a good chance for them to fill out their starting five of the future by the time the draft wraps up.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at Sacramento’s top five options with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.