Should the Sacramento Kings select for talent or fit in the NBA draft?

The Sacramento Kings have a tough decision ahead of them. Do they use their first-round pick in the NBA draft on the most talented player available?

The Sacramento Kings have been making some big personnel moves in the last couple of months. The team decided to go another direction in terms of front-office management as they parted ways with Vlade Divac to hire Monte McNair as their new architect of the roster.

So far, the Kings could do no wrong. They finally hired a general manager who is fit for the job as well as other qualified people to assist him. But with that said, this new team has not done anything yet that gives promise that they can turn the Kings around.

How they use the 12th overall pick in the upcoming draft will be their first test.

Which direction should the Sacramento Kings take?

Like every NBA team, the Kings have a ranking system of who they think are the best prospects in this year’s class. But the question is which avenue should the team take when approaching the draft? Do they go for the best player available, or do they go for a guy that has a skill set that complements the team’s system?

In recent years, I thought the Kings should have selected the best talent available. When Sacramento traded DeMarcus Cousins, the best direction for their rebuild was to acquire a bunch of young and talented guys together and see what they could do when playing with one another.

That was the mentality before. As for this year’s draft, taking the direction of drafting for fit is pivotal if the Kings want to turn things around. Why is that? De’Aaron Fox is why.

The Sacramento Kings have their guy

For the first time since they parted ways with Cousins, the Kings have a young star in the making. In his first three years, Fox is becoming the player Kings fans prayed he would be. A speedy point guard who can push the floor and create points for others and himself. He also has shown promise in becoming a better defender, perimeter shooter, and leader along the way.

It took a few years, but the Kings finally got the next face of their franchise going forward. This time, however, they need to make sure not to waste the talents of Fox and finally put a winning product on the court. The best way for the Kings to achieve this is by making sure they acquire players who have skillsets that complement their young point guard.

Who fits well with De’Aaron Fox?

Let us go through what holes the Kings currently have on their roster. In terms of position, the team could use more versatile wing players, a backup point guard that fits the same playing style as Fox, and bigs that can rebound. Although this year’s draft class is considered weak, I do believe there will be players available for Sacramento that can be assets and fill the holes on their team.

When analyzing wing players that could be available, names like Devin Vassell, Aaron Nesmith, and Saddiq Bey all are solid choices that could eventually become valuable 3-and-D players for the purple and white.

In terms of a reliable backup for Fox, a player like Tyrell Terry or Kira Lewis both can play in a high-tempo offense either as the facilitator or off the ball. And lastly, a big man like Jalen Smith is an option for Sacramento as he could be a solution to the team’s rebounding woes and can improve the spacing on offense.

When going through the draft, there are not a lot of “star-coveted” talents available, but I do believe there are a lot of guys that could become valuable rotation players at the next level. Lucky for Sacramento, a lot of these players could be great options when building a team around De’Aaron Fox.

Next Wednesday’s NBA draft is coming up fast, which means Monte McNair and company will finally be put to the test. Although they will not know which players will be available for them when they are on the clock, they should have the mentality to draft a guy that can complement De’Aaron Fox’s skillset over anything else.

The Sacramento Kings have their star player. Now it is time for them to help him and the team overall thrive.