Sacramento Kings: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason
By Derek Hryn
3. Bagley III was well worth a top-three selection, if healthy
While it was speculated that Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic were the top two players in the 2018 NBA Draft class, the Kings envisioned their next superstar to be Marvin Bagley III.
After watching his performances in both Sacramento and Las Vegas in the past month during NBA Summer League, it is difficult to knock the decision.
The 19-year-old rookie suffered a pelvic bone injury that limited him to only one game in Vegas, but he is now one of the manifested cornerstones of the franchise and will look to prove his value in his rookie campaign.
MBIII gave Kings fans something to smile about almost immediately in his Summer League debut.
The Kings must devise a plan for veterans Zach Randolph, 37, and Nemanja Bjelica, 30, who play the same position as the second overall pick, as the team surely won’t deviate from investing in the future in both the frontcourt and backcourt.
Randolph and the newly added Bjelica will likely take on mentorship roles at the position.
With five players now occupying the power forward rotation, it should be interesting to see what becomes of the team’s young stretch-4 trio. Bagley will join former Duke product Harry Giles, along with another growing prospect in Skal Labissiere.