Sacramento Kings: 5 options for pick No. 36 in 2018 NBA Draft
By Ty Delbridge
4. Gary Trent Jr.
- Height: 6’5”
- Weight: 205 lbs
- Age: 19
- Position: SG
Gary Trent Jr. played one season at Duke before putting his name into the NBA Draft. Trent is a 6’5” guard who can slide over to small forward as well in today’s NBA. He is one of the best shooters in this draft class. Trent has been projected as an early second, late first round draft pick in recent mock drafts.
In his one season at Duke, Trent averaged 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.9 minutes per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from the 3-point line. He played on a highly talented, young team at Duke. In the NBA, Trent will benefit from playing in more space and finding a role to showcase all he can do.
On the Kings, Trent could play point guard, shooting guard and even some small forward. The Kings need more versatile wings who can play multiple positions and who can shoot the ball.
Trent would not be a starter on this team, but he could be an excellent backup behind guys like De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Justin Jackson. Trent could also be on the court with one or two of those guys at any time. He would bring knockdown shooting, ball-handling, hustle and a hard-working mindset to the Kings.
The Ringer labeled Trent as a “knockdown shooting wing who needs to become a committed defender in order to stay on the floor.” In the second round of the draft, teams should be looking for players who do certain things at a high level. The Kings could be getting a solid value pick with Trent if he can come in and shoot the ball right away from deep.