Sacramento Kings: Complete 2017 offseason grades

Drafting Harry Giles

If the Kings went for a “safe” pick at 15, they did a complete about-face at No. 20. After taking an elite talent at point guard and a wing option, the Kings went for a big man with their third first round pick, selecting Harry Giles out of Duke.

Giles was one of the premier talents in the high school class of 2016, and coming into his freshman year at Duke was ranked first in the entire class. Other players ranked just behind Giles such as Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, and Markelle Fultz entered their freshman seasons fully healthy; Giles came in still recovering from his second torn ACL in three seasons.

While the aforementioned freshman were joined by Malik Monk, Fox, Lonzo Ball and Jonathan Isaac in putting together an impressive showing for first-year players in college basketball last season, Giles struggled to return from his injury. He became nothing more than a role player on a Duke team bounced from the tournament in the Round of 32.

If Giles’ struggles last season were simply due to a slow recovery from knee surgery, then the Kings may have the steal of the draft on their roster. Giles’ combination of skill and athleticism made him the dominant force in high school basketball whenever he was healthy. The Harry Giles who ranked first in his class projects as a long-term starter at the 4 for the Kings.

But three knee surgeries is a lot for any player, even one as young as Giles. It’s possible the player who struggled to find consistent minutes in college is the new Giles, and his athleticism and explosion will never be the same. That doesn’t mean he can’t carve out a role in the league, but another knee injury could doom his career.

The risk of taking a player like Giles 10th in the draft would have been enormous. By splitting the 10th pick into two, the Kings not only got two chances at an impact player, they were able to take a realistic swing at adding a true star talent. Harry Giles is the biggest risk-reward prospect in this draft class, and the Kings were right to take the risk. The reward could be tremendous.

Grade: B+