NBA Draft: Should the Sacramento Kings trade up? Trade down? Trade out?

Trade up in the NBA draft

Despite the weak draft class, there are a handful of top prospects that would fit the bill for the Kings. Wing prospects Isaac Okoro and Deni Avdija are both likely to be off of the board when the Kings are on the clock at number 12, but the team has assets should they want to move up.

Buddy Hield‘s future in Sacramento is up in the air after a tumultuous season on the court and in the locker room, and there is a real possibility that the team moves him before the start of next season. The Atlanta Hawks are a top-10 team that could potentially have an interest in acquiring the reigning 3-point champion. They have their young core intact and could be looking to add a veteran to pair with Trae Young. The two Oklahoma products would give the Hawks a potent shooting backcourt.

In this scenario, the Kings would be asking for the sixth overall pick in return. If the two sides could make a deal work without Sacramento sending the 12th pick to Atlanta, then Sacramento could add two young prospects in the lottery of the 2020 Draft. This is unlikely, as the Hawks would probably want to keep at least some draft capital for this year.

There are other teams that the Kings could call. They could make a deal with the Phoenix Suns if they wanted to move up a couple of spots, or perhaps they propose a godfather deal to the Golden State Warriors for the second overall pick.

Sacramento moving up in the draft would be unlikely, but they have the capital to try should they choose to.