Five NBA draft prospects for Kings to target with lottery pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
For an NBA-record 16th consecutive season, the Kings went on vacation early and missed the playoffs.
Sacramento wrapped up the 2021-22 NBA season Sunday night with a 116-109 win over the Phoenix Suns to close out their record at 30-52, the seventh-worst mark in the league.
General manager Monte McNair, who will lead the offseason charge in hiring the Kings’ next head coach after Alvin Gentry was let go Monday, will set his sights on the 2022 NBA Draft to surround the new core of Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox with more talent.
Per Tankathon, Sacramento is guaranteed to land a top-10 pick during the draft lottery on May 17. The Kings have a 7.5 percent chance to nab the No. 1 overall pick and a 32 percent chance to leap into one of the top-four spots.
So, who could the Kings be selecting in the draft? Here are five prospects:
Paolo Banchero, F, Duke
Banchero has all the offensive tools to be special at the next level. The 6-10 forward has the quickness and strength to get to the basket, and he also boasts a head-turning level of playmaking ability and can thread the needle to set up teammates with highlight-reel passes.
He was the straw that stirred the drink in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season on the sidelines, leading Duke in points (17.2) and rebounds (7.8) while also ranking second in assists (3.2) per contest. However, Banchero has work to do on his outside shot. He cashed 3-pointers at a 30.6 percent clip all season before getting hot in the NCAA Tournament and swishing 10 of 19 attempts (52.6 percent).
During Duke’s March Madness run to the Final Four in Coach K’s swan song, Banchero averaged 18.8 points over five games and posted two double-doubles. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the West Region to go along with his ACC Freshman of the Year and All-ACC first team accolades.
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Banchero would fit perfectly with the Kings, playing alongside Sabonis in the frontcourt as an athletic power forward. But in order for this dream scenario to become a reality, the Kings will need NBA lottery ping pong balls to fall in their favor.
Chet Holmgren, C/F, Gonzaga
Perhaps the most intriguing incoming rookie, Holmgren stands seven feet tall and can do it all.
The consensus 2021 top-ranked recruit in the country out of high school didn’t disappoint in his lone collegiate season at Gonzaga. In 32 games, Holmgren nearly averaged a double-double with 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He dominates in the paint, handles the ball like a guard and drains 3-pointers with ease, logging a 39 percent clip from deep as a freshman.
Holmgren also showcased his defensive ability at Gonzaga, using his 7-foot-6 wingspan to block 117 shots, enough to rank fourth in the nation. Weighing in at just 195 pounds, it’ll likely take Holmgren time to adjust physically to playing alongside NBA bigs, but his rare offensive skill set should translate quickly.
If Sacramento can inch closer to the top of the draft and select Holmgren, he would be the Kings’ third first-round pick out of Gonzaga in franchise history, joining Dan Dickau (2002) and forward Zach Collins (2017).
Jabari Smith Jr., F, Auburn
The Kings already have ties to the Auburn product, having drafted his father and namesake, Jabari Smith, in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft.
Forget about Smith’s last collegiate game when he went 3 of 16 from the floor and the Tigers were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by No. 10 seed Miami. This kid can shoot the basketball.
Smith, who stands 6-10 and can play the 3 or the 4, ranked fourth in the SEC with 79 3-point makes, drilling them at an impressive 42 percent clip. He drained at least one triple in all but one collegiate game, ending his amateur career on a streak of 29 straight games with a bucket from beyond the arc.
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Elite outside shooting, especially at his size, would be a welcomed sight at Golden 1 Center. It’s a big reason why he’s considered a top-three choice in the 2022 draft along with Banchero and Holmgren. But then again, he can also do this:
Keegan Murray, F, Iowa
Murray doesn’t appear to have as high of a ceiling as Banchero, Holmgren and Smith, but the Kings would be more than happy to add the 6-8 forward to their rotation.
During his second season at Iowa, Murray led the Big Ten in scoring with an average of 23.5 points and added 8.7 rebounds per contest. He shot 55.4 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from downtown and filled up box scores with ease, going off for at least 30 points in five different games.
It’s easy to picture Murray fitting in well with the Kings, sliding into the mix as a floor spacer who can hit outside shots and chip in on rebounding while the offense runs through Fox and Sabonis.
If Sacramento doesn’t get lucky and creep up into a top-four selection, the Kings would be extremely fortunate to land Murray somewhere around the seventh pick.
Bennedict Mathurin, G, Arizona
Mathurin nailed one of the biggest shots of the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend, sending his top-seeded Wildcats into overtime against ninth-seeded TCU on a clutch 3-pointer with 12 seconds left. Arizona went on to avoid the upset and advance to the Sweet 16, much in thanks to Mathurin’s career-high 30 points.
An exciting, energetic offensive wing, Mathurin averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as a sophomore. After splashing 41.8 percent of his 3-pointers as a freshman, Mathurin chucked up 6.1 attempts from deep in 2021-22 — nearly three more per game — and logged a 36.9 clip.
There are concerns with Mathurin’s effort level on defense, which could be a problem for Sacramento considering the team finished 27th in defensive rating in 2021-22. But all prospects arrive with concerns, and Mathurin’s offensive talent alone should warrant a high selection.
