2022 NBA Draft Grades for all 15 teams in the Western Conference

2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Sacramento Kings

Picks: Keegan Murray, Forward, Iowa (4)

In some sense, the draft began at pick No. 4. It was nearly a lock that the three bigs would go 1-2-3, which meant that the Sacramento Kings’ pick at four was something of a crossroads for the draft.

Would they go with Jaden Ivey, the consensus number four player in the draft, but one who fit poorly on the Kings’ point-guard-laden roster? Would they trade down for a team that was chasing Ivey?

Instead, they kept the pick and went for the best fit with their current team, taking Iowa’s Keegan Murray. He’s a do-it-all forward who can score, shoot, pass, rebound, and defend at a high level. As an older, late-blooming prospect there is some uncertainty as to his upside, but he is an excellent fit and there aren’t any true weaknesses to his profile.

The Kings otherwise traded all around the second round and ended up trading out entirely for a pair of future seconds. They will look to the bargains of free agency to fill out the rest of their roster as they try to make a run at the playoffs this season.

Grade: B+