It’s been a while since I’ve truly done much of a deep dive into the NBA Draft, but it’s something I used to enjoy doing back for the old site. In fact covering drafts and prospects is how I actually got into writing about the Kings as a hobby, and frankly, the Draft itself has probably been one of the more exciting parts of most Kings seasons over the last 20 years, even if the results themselves haven’t always panned out.
But I still love the Draft. The Draft is like NBA Christmas, full of wonder and hope that this prospect or the next will be the one that turns the team around. I may be a bit more jaded than I used to be after getting a few too many lumps of coal over the years, but I’m still thoroughly invested and so I thought I’d dust off the old tables and go over some of the numbers for this latest group of prospects in what is widely considered a very strong and deep draft. Numbers don’t tell the full story of course, but I’ve found over the years that they still paint a decent picture, and they’re also a good way to spot some intriguing players on the fringe that have certain numbers that pop out so that I can take a further look at later.
As such I’ve compiled the basic and advanced statistics for about 70 prospects in this draft (not every prospect but the ones that appeared on most of the big boards as potentially drafted), as well as their physical measurements from the combine. I used basketball-reference.com as my source and as such I didn’t include the data on any of the international prospects, although this year’s draft is a little lighter on those prospects compared to year’s past. In fact, Karim Lopez is the only international player consistently projected in the first round. I’ve embedded the tables below, but just in case you are having trouble reading them on the site or want to sort columns yourself, I’ve also included links to the google sheets themselves. For the Basic and Advanced statistics, I’ve added a percentile gradient: red means low, white is average and green is high. Any text with white font means that player is the worst of his peers in that category, while yellow text indicates they are the best.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at these numbers and then I’ll share some of my thoughts below. Keep in mind that this is far from the kind of detailed, in depth analysis that front offices and even other fans/writers will perform, and any findings are just one man’s opinion.
Basic Stats
Advanced Stats
Physical Measurements
Lottery Thoughts
- I’m not sure there is any analytical model out there that wouldn’t have Cameron Boozer at #1. So it’s a little bit crazy to me that he’s not only not projected #1 in most mock drafts, but often instead at 3 or 4. There’s basically nothing that Boozer does that is bad. He’s an excellent and efficient scorer, able to draw a ton of free throws and also hit a good percentage from three (39.1%). His offensive box plus minus is far and away the best of this class, and while he doesn’t block a ton of shots, he has a solid steal rate and defensive box plus minus as well. That’s not to mention that he’s also an excellent rebounder and has the second highest assist rate of any non-guard in the draft. If this were almost any other draft, Boozer would be the clear consensus #1 pick and I’m not convinced most analysts aren’t just overthinking this.
- Caleb Wilson isn’t that far behind Boozer in terms of advanced statistics. He’s not quite as good of a passer (but still solid for a big man), is a better shot blocker, and doesn’t take nearly as many three point attempts but is still efficient with the shots he does take. He’s also got about the same standing reach as Boozer but on a much slighter frame (Boozer has more than 40 pounds on him). I can understand those who say Wilson could end up being better than Boozer, but I think he’s going to have to figure out how to become a passable shooter to truly excel in today’s NBA and right now he mostly operates near the rim offensively.
- AJ Dybantsa is widely considered to be the player that the Wizards will take #1 and he is clearly one of the best offensive players in this entire draft, plus he has excellent measurables for a modern NBA wing. He still needs to work on his outside shot (just 33.1% from three in college) but he’s an excellent driver and gets to the line a ton. He’s also a willing passer with a 22.1% assist rate. Dybantsa was the engine behind the entire BYU offense, as evidenced by his monster 33.9% usage rate. It’s the other end of the floor where the numbers don’t look so good though. For a player of his size to have such a low block rate is kind of crazy. Kingston Flemings, who got so much flack from pundits for his lack of wingspan, actually has a higher block rate than Dybantsa. Still, the talent and physical tools is palpable, and Dybantsa could end up being a game changer if he can develop on that end of the floor as well.
- I’m not going to spend too much time on Darryn Peterson other than to say that this guy is most definitely a shooting guard. He had a pretty low assist rate and turnover rate, but also a super high usage. That basically means that whenever he got the ball, he was looking to score. To be fair to him, he’s pretty damn good at it, and would probably have looked even better had he not been dealing with various injuries throughout the season. He also showcased some defensive chops with a solid steal rate, and better than average defensive box plus minus.
- Darius Acuff is atop a lot of personal Kings fan draft boards at 7, including mine, and it’s easy to see why. He’s an excellent scorer and shooter, with his 44% from three on nearly 6 attempts a game making him one of the best perimeter threats in the entire draft. He was also a more than solid playmaker with a 32.2% assist rate and just a 10% turnover rate, which is impressive for someone who handled the ball as much as he did. Of course on the other hand, Acuff might literally be the worst defender in the entire draft. His defensive box plus minus of 0.7 is the worst of every prospect on this list. He’s also among the bottom in rebound rate, steal rate and block rate. While Acuff’s measurables show a player who has the size to at least be competitive as a defender, it’s hard to believe he’ll make a drastic leap on that end. I still think he has the potential to be so good offensively that you take him anyway and figure out the rest later, but it’s definitely not something you can just ignore.
- Kingston Flemings isn’t quite as good offensively as Acuff or even Wagler, and you can see his tendency to favor the midrange in his advanced statistics: he has both a relatively low three point attempt rate and also a relatively low free throw rate, meaning he doesn’t drive as much to the basket. He wasn’t a bad three point shooter by any means, making 38.7% of his attempts, but he did shoot just 2.9 attempts a game. His assist and turnover rate were both pretty similar to Acuff, but it’s on the other end of the floor where he stands out. Flemings has the third highest steal rate among all freshman, and his defensive box plus minus of 6 was tied with Cameron Boozer as the highest of any freshman as well as being the best among all guards in the draft.
- Keaton Wagler is another name often put around the Kings, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how good of a passer he was for a bigger guard. However I’m still unsure on if he could passably play Point Guard at the next level or if he will simply be a Shooting Guard who can also make plays. One thing I found surprising was his relatively high free throw rate which was among the top for guards in this class. We’ve heard that Wagler went his entire season without making a single dunk which would seem to indicate an aversion to attacking the rim to me but he seemed to do plenty good of a job of attacking and getting to the line, which is a nice sign that he isn’t afraid of contact. He’s not just an outside shooter, although he is excellent from there as well with his 39.7% three point percentage on 5.9 attempts a game.
- Mikel Brown is a popular name for the Kings as well, but I don’t like what the numbers have to say about him. To me the numbers scream that he’s a chucker. Almost 60% of his field goal attempts were threes, and he made just 34.4% of them. He had a relatively high assist rate, but he also had a high turnover rate, which to me indicates more reckless passing. He also had one statistic that really threw me for a loop; He only got one offensive rebound in the 21 games he played. I know, who really cares about offensive rebounds for Point Guards right? Still, I thought that was strange. Now Brown was dealing with a back injury for most of the season (another red flag to me), but coming into this season was projected as the top Point Guard prospect. He’s got excellent size and he was arguably the best player for Team USA at the U19 World Cup, leading a team that featured AJ Dybantsa, Koa Peat and Morez Johnson in Points and Assists while shooting 46.7% from the field and 47.6% from three over 7 games. Still, which Mikel Brown are you getting? I’m not sure that’s a gamble I’d make, but also this team might just need to make that bet at this point if they feel the risk is worth it.
- Labaron Philon measures up well with some of the other Point Guards in the draft, but he’s a sophomore instead of a freshman and is one of the lighter players in the draft, coming in at just 176.2 pounds at the combine. Despite his slimmer stature, he wasn’t afraid to attack the basket and get to the line, and he’s also a solid three point shooter, making 39.9% of his threes on 6.2 attempts a game. I’m not sure I’d take him at 7 but if the Kings were to trade back he’d be on my radar.
- Brayden Burries is interesting as well, but the big question with him is if he can be a full time Point Guard. Burries averaged just 2.4 assists a game as a freshman, but shared a backcourt with senior guard Jaden Bradley who handled the primary ballhandling duties. I think at the next level Burries will be asked to be a Point Guard, and I think he can be one in the same vein of Jamal Murray. In fact, Murray also averaged just 2.2 assists a game in college as a shooting guard before making the full time transition to Point Guard in the NBA. Murray’s definitely more of a scorer than playmaker, and Burries likely will be too, so it’s a good thing that he’s pretty good at it. He’s also a solid defender, with the second highest defensive box plus minus among freshmen.
- Aday Mara is probably going to make some team very happy as their new Center of the future. If he was a freshman, he’d probably be in consideration for the #1 pick, but he’s a junior and as such has a bit lower of a ceiling. Still, he’s gigantic at 7’3 barefoot with a 9’9 standing reach, has the second highest block rate in the entire draft at 12%, and even posts a solid assist rate for a big man. Mara is exceedingly efficient offensively, making 66.8% of his field goal attempts last season, but he’s also limited and doesn’t have much range outside of the paint. That’s not likely to get better either, as evidenced by his 58.5% career free throw percentage in college. Still, he could end up being one of the leagues premiere rim protectors from day one.
- Yaxel Lendeborg is another player who looks ready to come in and make contributions from the start. His numbers are fantastic across the board, and he has the measurements and skill to be able to play anywhere in the frontcourt for an NBA team. He is second in offensive box plus minus and third in defensive box plus minus across all prospects. His rebounding looks a little low for a big man, but that can be partially explained by sharing a frontcourt with Aday Mara and Morez Johnson, as Lendeborg’s rebounding numbers were far better in his previous two collegiate years before coming to Michigan (albeit in a far worse conference). The biggest thing going against Lendeborg is his age. He’s a fifth-year senior and will be 24 years old when the NBA season starts. That’s an immediate turn off to me as a Kings fan even if I think he’s going to be awesome, and him going to a veteran team like the Warriors or Thunder (picking 11th and 12th respectively) makes me a little queasy. If only this version of Yaxel had been in the 2024 draft.
- Nate Ament looks like a big project to me, and if he didn’t have such excellent measurables he probably wouldn’t be considered a lottery prospect. Despite being almost 6’10 barefoot, he managed to shoot under 40% from the field, and only 33.3% from three. He did get to the line quite a bit, and he was also an above average rebounder, but anyone taking Ament is likely going to have to wait a few years to see if he can fill out and develop his offensive game. For teams with patience and a good surrounding foundation it might be a good bet, but I wouldn’t put the Kings in that group.
Post-Lottery Thoughts
- Allen Graves from Santa Clara has a very weird and interesting profile. He’s got solid size for a 3/4 combo at almost 6’8 barefoot with an 8’10.5 standing reach. He doesn’t score a ton (just 11.8 points a game) but he’s exceedingly efficient when he does (51.2% from the field and 41.3% from three). He’s an excellent rebounder, particularly on the offensive glass, and he’s got the 2nd highest steal rate in the draft as well as a solid block rate while almost never turning the ball over. These kind of stats kind of remind me of Kyle Anderson, although Anderson was a far better playmaker in college.
- Cameron Carr is someone who popped out at me when I first compiled these stats. At just 6’4.5 barefoot he has an almost 7’1 wingspan, and that probably accounts for the reason that his block rate is higher than that of any non big man in the draft, while also posting solid rebounding statistics as well. He’s also not a slouch on the other end of the floor as well, averaging 18.9 pionts a game while shooting 37.4% from three on 6.1 attempts a game. Two-Way wings that can guard multiple positions are NBA gold right now and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Carr go in the lottery as a result, especially since this draft seems a bit light on wings.
- Dailyn Swain is another wing that has some two-way potential. He’s a better playmaker and rebounder than Carr, and also posts a higher steal rate. He’s also very efficient from the field, making almost 60% of his twos. That efficiency combined with his high free throw attempt rate makes me believe that Swain is very good at attacking the rim. Shooting, once again, is the real question mark, as Swain shot just 34.4% from three last season on only 2.6 attempts a game. Still, that was a sizeable jump from his previous two seasons, and his free throw percentage of 81.5% for his career speaks to someone with good mechanics. He also needs to cut down on the turnovers, posting a very high 16.4% turnover rate.
- I’ve always been a sucker for bigs who can pass, and Joshua Jefferson might be the best passing big man in the draft, posting an assist rate of 27.7%. He’s also a solid rebounder and posts good steal and block rates. If there’s a big knock on him it’s his shooting as he only shot 34.5% from three as a senior.
- Tarris Reed Jr. has an intriguing mix of rebounding (elite on both ends of the floor), passing (above average for a big man) and shot blocking (4th highest block rate in the class). I think the only things really holding him back from being considered a better prospect are his age and the fact that he doesn’t have any outside shooting ability (he’s 1 for 7 from three over all four years of college and shot just 58.2% from the line).
- Zuby Ejiofor has a similar profile to Reed in a slightly smaller frame. He’s not as good of a defensive rebounder, but he’s a better playmaker and more importantly he’s shown some semblance of offensive range. It’s not much range (30.5% from three on 1.6 attempts last year) but it at least shows a willingness to step outside and provides a bit more of a foundation on that front.
- Baba Miller is an intriguing huge wing at almost 6’11 without shoes, but also a very skinny 208.2 pounds. He had the second highest defensive rebound rate in the draft, a solid assist rate and was a good shot blocker. He looks like he can contribute as a solid wing defender from Day one, but whether or not he can carve out a real role for himself depends on if he can provide anything offensively. Miller wasn’t much of a shooter in college, making just 19.2% of his threes as a senior, and just 29% over his collegiate career. His Free Throw Percentage of 61.9% for his career is discouraging in that regard as well.
- Henri Veesaar is this year’s stretch center similar to Max last year, although he’s a bit skinnier than Max and also a better shooter having made 42.6% of his attempts last year as a senior. He’s also pretty skinny for a center at just 227.2 pounds.
- Rueben Chinyelu is the best rebounder in the draft bar none, posting the highest offensive and defensive rebound rate. That makes sense when you consider that he has a massive 7’7.5 wingspan despite being just over 6’9 barefoot. I would have hoped his block rate would be a bit higher though even though it’s solid.
- Milan Momcilovic is the best shooter in the draft, having made 48.7% of his threes on 7.5 attempts a game. He’s also got solid size for a wing at 6’8. But can he do anything other than shoot? The statistics don’t really show that. The Kings could use shooting for sure, but would Momcilovic be anything other than a slightly taller Doug McDermott?
- Ugonna Onyenso is the best shot blocker in the draft and it’s not close. He had a block rate of 17.4%, and swatted nearly 3 shots a game in under 20 minutes of actual playing time. Another intriguing aspect of his game is that he has started to branch out as a shooter, as he attempted one three a game last season as a senior after not shooting any threes in any of his prior seasons. He only made 27.8% of them, but if he can develop that part of the game to become even an average three point shooter, he’d be the exact type of big most NBA teams would want.
- Jeremy Fears Jr. (Brother of Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears) and Braden Smith are the draft’s best passers (in fact Smith holds the college career assist record with 1,103 assists over four years), but they’re also two of the tiniest players in the entire draft. Fears is just 6′ barefoot, and Smith is 5’10.25 and also weighs just 166.6 pounds. If I had to pick one that would be better in the NBA, I’d probably lean Smith solely because he’s the better shooter. Fears gets most of his points attacking the basket and getting to the line, and that won’t be as easy to do at the NBA level. While Smith is smaller, he’s a far better outside shooter. Still, it’d be tough to project either of these players as anything other than backup PG options at best.
- Maliq Brown has one of the weirder advanced statistics profiles I’ve seen. He’s a forward/center who has the highest steal rate of anyone in the draft as well as the highest defensive box plus minus at 8.9. He’s a better offensive rebounder than defensive rebounder, but he’s also the most turnover prone player in the entire draft. He also has the lowest usage in the draft which means he barely touches the ball and given that turnover percentage probably can’t be trusted with the ball for any length of time. His high FG% basically means that all he does is dunk, but he also did shoot some threes (not well). He’d be an interesting option for an undrafted two-way player probably for a team that needs some defensive size and doesn’t really need offense from their big man.
- Peja is my favorite player of all time and I know his son Andrej Stojakovic is getting some draft hype (although he could withdraw and go back to Illinois) but I think he probably should just go back to school. None of his statistics really scream to me that he’s an NBA player. Interestingly for the son of Peja, he’s not a great shooter and is much more of a driver. But he’s also not that good of a rebounder, passer or defender.
***
Keep an eye out for some further deep dives on specific prospects as we get closer to the NBA Draft, but this is nice first look to get acquainted with the players that many teams are hoping can become a big part of their future. Let me know in the comments if there’s anything that stood out to you, or maybe who you’d like to read more about in the coming weeks. Starting Monday, we’ll be doing our community draft board polls as well, so look forward to that and have a great Memorial Day weekend!
I would trade #7 for McCain and the # 12 from OKC. Use #12 for Quintance. OKC would use 7 for Mara to replace Hartenstein.
This feels like the quickest way to a 35 win plateau…so it will probably happen
I believe Quintance will be a star.
You might be right…there’s not a ton of evidence to suggest that. If wrong they just traded the 7th pick for a different version of Malik Monk. Essentially a 6th man scorer type. Because McCain is not a point guard.
Which would beat the 30-win plateau we’re currently shooting for.
In general, I’d stay away from any one with injury questions unless it’s a crazy good deal (Peterson @ 7, Brown Jr in the 20s, etc), which means I probably wouldn’t want Quintance before the mid-20s or so, Possibly even the 2nd round. And I’m not sure McCain is better than what you could draft at 12 or 17.
BHE. who are some players you’d take at 7?
The only deal I do to trade down is an over pay from the Thunder as I trust their GM over ours, if the include Topic or Mitchell or a quality young player
All the deals I see proposed for the Kings are just for mid players who won’t really do anything for Kings
Good insights, Akis.
Mikel Brown Jr. gives me LaMelo Ball vibes. Lots of flash, risky passing, not afraid to chuck some shots…all while doing things on the court that can be amazing. It’s a mixed bag. A team would need the patience the rein him in and control the chaos.
My issue with a player like Acuff is that the entire roster would have to be specifically built around his defensive deficiencies. It’s a narrow path and pigeon holes roster construction. It could work, I just don’t think the Kings are the team to do.
I do like Carr. He is the 2-way wing that teams covet. At 7, I don’t think the Kings pick him. They seem focused on a PG. Now, if they could somehow get an additional pick from 8-14, I think Carr would be amazing for the Kings (I don’t see them getting that additional pick).
Looking forward to more draft lottery analysis. It’s a Kings fan’s national past time!
I’ve been looking at players farther down the draft and I really do believe there is talent deep into the teens. I say this because Perry and co. may find the top 6 on their board may go first and that they may not have their #7 that highly ranked from their #15. The drop off in talent just isn’t that big from #5 to #15, IMO.
From all that OKC’s #12 and #17 for the Kings #7 may not be that unrealistic. If the Dubs pass on Yaxel and he’s sitting there at #12, he really wood be a solid fit between Sabonis and Keegan, despite his age. To be clear, I do not want Yaxel at #7. Mikel Brown and/or Labaron Philon may also be there at #12. If Perry has them on the same tier as say…Flemings who is there at #7, why not trade back to get additional assets.
This also doesn’t mean OKC includes the #17. Hypothetically if they sent the #12 and a player like Topic, I think that is very much worth the #7. Yaxel and Topic in lieu of of Flemings? Yeah, I’d take that.
I don’t disagree with the statement and I think I’m higher on Sabonis than most here. But should that even be crossing the Kings mind at this point in the draft?
Probably not, but have you ever known Vivek to build for the future? My point was if there was a trade back and the Kings continue with their “win now” type of moves. Yaxel would be the one I’d consider at #12. If he were a few years younger, I’d definitely be taking him at #7.
The Kings would get SMASHED in the media for doing this. It would be seen as the worst franchise in the NBA potentially giving yet another star to the best. Disaster from a PR perspective. I know zip, but I think the Kings desperately need top end talent and they should take BPA, after of course screwing themselves out of a higher draft pick.
I only see it happening if the Kings feel the talent is all that different between #7 and #12, which is a possibility.
Put it this way, I feel the talent gap between #2 and #7 is far wider than #7 and #12.
You give the Kings too much credit in spotting talent. They wouldn’t know talent even if the no. 2 pick is dropped on their laps.
Trading 7 for 12 and 17 reeks of that Vlade trade with Portland. I think it was something like 10 for 15 and 20 and I think he took Giles and JJ.
IMO, there’s a clear drop off in this draft at around pick 10, I’d simply rather have the higher pick.
All the PG’s look great until you study the heck out of them and see only flaws
Acuff – no defense. in more important games he will be targeted and can’t play zone all the time
Brown- happy chucker, too many turnovers
Flemings- too small, limited 3’s but plays d.
Buries- is he a PG?
Wagler- is he a PG
I guess this is my preference order. I do believe that if the LAC don’t rebuild, they take Wagler (Acuff + Garland = trouble) and Nets take Acuff (star power)
Choice then is Flemings or Brown.
I hope that Perry knows more than I (my opinion)
I thought Flemings was small too, but the only thing that was glaring was the wing span. But height, weight, standing reach are all similar to Acuff. Flemings was actually heavier than Acuff, per the combine testing. He just has narrow shoulders, which is why his wingspan is a bit shorter.
Brown is the homerun swing. His highs are really high, and his lows are really low. If the Kings think they can limit the lows, then he might end up being the best of the bunch (injury history not included).
I’d be fine with any of the players you mentioned. The team could use all of them.
That’s the pulse I’m feeling right now as well. It may come down to Flemings vs Brown. I still think there is a chance Wagler could slip to #7. I don’t see Acuff, at this point in time, falling below the Nets, but if the Clips like Acuff enough to take him at 4, I could see the Nets doing something crazy at #5. They took a big PG in Demin at #8 last year. Would they want another one in Wagler? They drafted 3 PGs last year!
I get your point but this roster is so bereft of talent, interest and upside I’m inclined to take Acuff as he has what would appear to have an elite offensive game, if his offense is crap they trade him in 2 years as if you have talent another team will figure that they can solve it. I know its not the Kings style, but that’s what I think they should do
FYI, Hoopshype has a WORKOUT TRACKER to see which prospects are working out where. So far the Kings have not worked out anyone really projected to go in the first round, but they have worked out a bunch of…you guessed it….seniors.
Interesting enough, OKC has worked out Yaxel.
Thank you! That’s a great link although a depressing list.
It’s the 1st workout, and fairly similar to others. Zuby seems to be working out for every team, and I like in the 2nd round for Sac. Big man depth is needed.
We have Domas, Maxi, and Cardwell.
I’m not sure they will be able to unload Domas.
I’m expecting them to move Domas this offseason or by the deadline. Even if they don’t, they only have those 3 big men. Precious isn’t under contract, so they would need someone as the 4th big if he doesn’t return. I think a better team might offer him more than the Kings.
Yeah, I have been using that tracker daily ever since they put it up after the draft lottery. Surprisingly, Eijofor plans to workout on a lot of teams, including the Kings, a la Ajay Mitchell. His PER is not that bad based on Akis’s worksheet, just 2% less that Boozer, although that 3pt% is really rough (ooffff). Good for a late 1st round pick.
Thanks. Glad Kings got Keyshawn Hall, he popped up as name during my homework. I checked, and surprised I didn’t see Bruce Thornton on that Hoopshype list.
Seasoned Kings fans know just how high the odds are that the Kangz trade a future 1st, cash considerations, and Alex Oriakhi for the rights to Andrej Stojakovic this coming draft night.
And 20-years-plus, grizzled Kangz fans know just how likely it is that such a move will be followed by the hiring of Peja Stojakovic as Doug Christie’s lead assistant.
If the Kings felt confident of getting Burries/Philon and Carr/Landeberg, I’d consider trading down. Defense would improve a lot over time if Burries/Carr or Landeberg, which, as the playoffs show, still matters a lot. Burries and Carr would be the foundation of a strong defense in the future, but expecting Burries to be available at #12 seems like fantasy. For now, scouts rate Philon as a better ballhandler and Burries as a better defender.
If the Kings pick at #7, I’d probably take Burries, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he was already gone.
Acuff truly scares me, a potentially All-Star scorer who can’t defend, the type of player Vivek loves. The team ceiling would be about 45-48 wins, with blowouts in play-in and playoff games. Would be great for attendance, not so great for fans who would like to see a team that could compete in the playoffs.
Burries could be the guy. As Akis pointed out, he shared backcourt duties with a legit senior PG on a very good team. He could potentially explode as a primary ball handler if given the keys. I know Akis mentioned Jamal Murray as a comp, but one I saw somewhere was Devin Booker/Jrue Holiday. I’d definitely take that at #7. Hope he comes in for a workout.
According to Michael Scotto over at HoopsHype. Kings are “enamored” with Acuff Jr. I also hadn’t realized Perry actually coached Acuff Sr. in college.
“According to Michael Scotto over at HoopsHype. Kings are “enamored” with Acuff Jr.”
Perhaps, but reports like this often result from a reporting echo chamber. One reporter mentions it based on dubious intel (“league sources” is a vague reporting catch-all), then other lazy reporters pick the story up and share it with their own spin, and pretty soon this unsubstantiated rumor is stated as common knowledge. I suspect that’s what happened with the Mac Jones to the Niners reports before they drafted Trey Lance. Not saying the Acuff interest isn’t legit (or that the Niners weren’t seriously considering Jones), I just wouldn’t put a lot of stock those “league sources” reports.
Although it definitely seems like a player Vivek would push for.
at this point, I’d rather they just take Acuff if there. At least it’ll be enjoyable to watch him shoot.
what I don’t get is, the kings are not one player away. They shouldn’t be drafting for positional need. They just need to get the best talent available. So of course they won’t.
Yeah, I 100% agree. I have no confidence in the process if Vivek is even a little involved. He may be smarter than everyone else in the room when it comes to many things, but he’s not smart enough to know that basketball isn’t one of them.
I would love it if the kings could get Baba MILLER or Graves early in the second round
Trevon Brazile is there for me as well.
I want to believe this draft will reveal, at some level, what the team’s “brain trust” is thinking regarding the future of this franchise. Sadly, their consistency of vision has amounted to pissing in the wind every 2-3 years and playing off their wet pants like its a trend and everyone wants wet pants. On to my (limited) thoughts on prospects.
Wagler is trash. I don’t get the hype, I certainly don’t want him in a Kings uniform and he has zero business being a consensus 5 pick. When Illinois played U of M, the Wolverines took him completely out of the game. That poor kid had no light in his eyes for the majority of the 2nd half and looked like he wanted to cry. I think he ended with 17 pts still but something like 12 of those were garbage time buckets with less than 5 minutes left in a blowout. He’s not very resilient and Michigan bullied him into complete irrelevance fairly easily. No thanks.
Acuff is a bucket. And a sieve. I imagine this to be Vivek’s prototype player; an all-offensive juggernaut, and he’d build a team full of them, a team that can’t figure out how to share one ball and plays absolutely no defense, but they’d dazzle with synchronized “jazz hands” for defense and “shakas” after every logo 3. And non-celebrity celebrities would cheer exuberantly from their half court seats while we lose extensively.
Hard pass. Tho it might be “fun” to watch.
Mikel Brown at least plays some defense but, alas, also a bit of a chucker. More fun to watch than Acuff, IMO. If he had better assist #s and weren’t so loose with the ball I wouldn’t mind this being the Kings pick. If we had a veteran pg starting the season I wouldn’t mind this being the Kings pick. I’m on the fence here.
Aday the Kings don’t need. But Aday and Raynaud would be a fun big rotation to watch. Or awful. He’s could do very well in 10-15 minute stretches if he lands in the right situation. His passing and post game is pro ready, he just needs to get physically used to the NBA.
Yaxel is going to be a star, IMO. If you crossed Ron Artest with Shane Battier you’re looking at Yaxel Ledenborg. All NBA level defense once he gets used to the league, its his scoring that will need a little work. He can shoot 3s, has solid drive game, and can post but its consistency that he’ll need to develop. He struggles a bit against taller defenders and defenses schemed to slow him down tho he does a good job analyzing and finding other ways to be impactful (rebounds, defense) and his motor is non-stop. If Vivek REALLY wanted to go to the play-ins next year, you add Yaxel to your lineup and go find a pg. Is he a guy you build your roster around for the long haul? Probably not. But he’s going to help your team immediately. I’d consider drafting him at 7 because why tf not? Imagine Caldwell with a refined offensive game…
I didn’t get to watch a lot of Kingston Flemings but he definitely plays like a pro level pg from what I’ve seen. Solid defense and a decent shot but as mentioned, noticeably not a rim attacker. Not too concerned about that, especially if his 3% maintains with some additional volume. I think if the Kings are going pg I’d prefer someone who can control the perimeter defensively. For me its a toss up between Brown and Flemings if pg is the move.
Morez Johnson of U of M is going to be a hell of a player as well. Very heady individual, also with a non-stop motor, Mo has a very high ceiling, tho seems a bit raw still. His around-the-basket game is next level and he rebounds exceptionally well for his size. Overall he reminds me of a slightly smaller Z-Bo or Randle style of player. Tho those guys were probably better scorers from mid-range right out of college, Mo isn’t far behind and started shooting a reliable 3 ball towards the end of the season. I’d take him just outside of the lottery and feel just fine about it, he’s going to be very good. I wouldn’t take him at 7, but if the Kings aren’t going pg, trading down and taking Mo wouldn’t hurt, he’s going to be very good.
Random thoughts; I agree its wild that Boozer is mocked at the 3rd pick, nationally. I’m guessing its the Duke bias; you only need about 1 hand to count the number of notable Dukies to play in the L. He’s going to be really good for a long time.
I wouldn’t take Burries at 7. Or 10. Or Philon fort that matter.
I think Caleb Wilson would be my top pick. If he gets a consistent long range shot he’s going to be unstoppable and he’s going to be a damn handful regardless.
I have no idea what Darren Peterson is going to be, other than a shooting guard. We still don’t need anymore of those.
Dybantsa could be really good. Victor Oladipo was really good. Will Dybantsa be better than that? Probably. Maybe? I don’t love the draft as much as I used to.
Nice post!
I’m with you on this. And it’s made me not really care that the Kings fell to 7. It’s a crapshoot draft more than I thought it would be.
I like your comments on Yax. He’s in my top 7 also. Not quite Ron Artest but I do love his defense and I think he’s the type of player that would make his teammates better, on offense and defense.
I watched all of that Illinois Michigan game also. It was Yax who had the assignment to guard Wagler (full court at times). However, I did not see Wagler lose his composure. Even when he has an off night, I’m still impressed with how he plays.
With both Acuff and Wagler, I think the key will be how they are developed and utilized. Yes, work on the improvement areas, but develop and utilize them to maximize their impact on offense.
I happened to receive a copy of the latest MRI of our FO.
To some extent, does it matter what the Kings do in the draft if they don’t move 2-4 of the current primary players on this team? If Lavine, DeRozan, Monk and nobody would be surprised if they resigned Russ are on the team next season, how does a #7 pick get any sort of real opportunity to grow? You can throw Domas in there to some extent but it’s looking like it’ll be a guard at 7 and Domas will pass the ball unlike those other guys.
It matters, even with those other guys around. They’ll be gone eventually, most likely at the deadline or 2027 offseason.
The Kings gotta bring in talent, and they have no PG currently under contract for next season.
One of the previous commenters alluding to needing clarity on what the FO’s vision is for the future. Are they still going to be in win now playin mode? Or are they finally going to start looking to the future by unloading vets?
We can only hope they start prioritizing the future and trade DDR, Zach, Domas, but I’m dubious of that happening. And all three of those players have little value when you consider their contracts, and that sadly includes Domas, unless a specific team is really high on him. I can’t think of any team that would see Domas as the missing piece to a ship.
Douby-ous?
Excellent write up! Really enjoyed so thank you for posting. Big college basketball fan (Zona) and Kings of course, and I never do stat deep dives so this was really interesting.
Hope we trade up from 7 but if we stay I’m happy with one of Acuff, Wagler, Kingston, or my boy Burries. Charlotte seems like a great landing spot for Domas so I would love the 14th pick in exchange. Not sure Carr falls to 14 but would love a new backcourt of him and whoever at 7.
I agree with you on Charlotte. With all the offensive firepower they have there, a facilitator who makes everyone better like Sabonis could pay in dividends for them. They are not build to play defense so might as well go all in and simply try and outscore everyone on a.nighly basis, much like the Beam Kings.
They do have cap room, but it might take some combo of contracts like Grant Williams, Josh Green, and Tre Mann. I’d love to poach Salaun from them, but I think they really value him.
Filler contracts and #14 might be as good as it gets.
Great points and agreed. Sabonis or another veteran Center vs developing a rookie seems to be their crossroads. Ideally they can do both, but in the midst of their playoff drought and almost making the playoffs this year, he is a great fit for them offensively across the board and I think gets them over the hump.
Plus one, I think they do everything they can to move off of Melo this year with the new face of the franchise being Knuppel. Domas replaces some of that facilitation on offense if they do. Hope we don’t acquire Melo, but hope we trade Domas for 14 because financially it can work.
Scouring the teams I also landed on CHA as a potential Domas fit. But contractually it’s difficult. And therin lies the biggest hurdle in trading Domas. That’s a big yearly cap number to make the contracts work with any team.
I think that in many respects, Domas is actually a decent defender. But in today’s NBA, your big has to provide a certain level of rim protection and that is his biggest weakness.
It will be very difficult to move his contract, IMO.
Or you can pair him with a legit 3 and D four. Someone like Jaren Jackson Jr. I feel those two could be a perfect pairing.
Domas for Green, Williams, Mann and the #14 works just fine. It ain’t flashy, but it could be considered better than what ATL got for Young or what Dallas got for AD.
I’d be fine with that. This is likely the type of deal that you’re getting for Domas. Also having the 7th and 14th picks gives you some ammo to move around. In the Kings case, likely to move up to 5 for Acuff.
You’d rather have Carr than Domas?
1 for 1, absolutely not. I’m operating under the assumption we are trying to move him.
We need a PG. Realistically speaking, I feel Acuff and Wagler would be off the board before our pick. That leaves us with Flemings, Mikel, and Burries as our choices. Mikel is boom or bust. Despite Flemings physical stats, he would be a safe pick. I think Burries would be the best pick of the three, both offensively and defensively. I would also love to move up in the draft to obtain Cam Carr if it all possible. I feel he is a Booker type of talent that could score at all 3 levels. Trade Domas to GS for the 11 and Krystaps Porz, and other filler, or trade with Charlotte. Burries and Carr are your foundational pieces. KP could play the 4.
If we pick Mikel and he hits, and with Carr, we would have the 2nd coming of the “Splash brothers”. Murray at the 3 and KP at the 4, we would be raining with 3’s. Cardwell would be a decent 5 rim protector/rebounder.
If you think Burries is the best of those three, why would you not draft him at 7?
you draft him at 7 and try to move up with other trades to pick up cam carr later on.
What type of role do you think Carr would have on offense and how would you evaluate his defense?
Proposed trade: Malik Monk our #45 pick and next years second rounders to the Pacers for Jarance Walker and Ben Sheppard. Result for Pacers: Get Monk who they have always wanted and needed as their 6th. man. They also get 2 seconds one At this years #45 in a highly great
draft. Result for Kings: Recieves young players. Jarance Walker to start at power forward between Murray and Raynaud. Sheppard as a reserve that plays great defense. The Kings also would take 6.6 mil. off the books. Combine that if you wave DDR that’s over 21 mil off the books. You would also bring back the King’s all of their MLE.
My other proposal: Trade Sabonis to the Raprors for RJ Barrett, Grady Dick and their #19 pick. That’s a little low for Sabonis but IMO probably the best you can do.
In this years draft take Kingston Flemings as your future point guard. Wing span doesn’t bother me. He has All the tools. Defense wins championships and Acuff definitely can’t or won’t play defense. Fleming can score and shoots over 38% on threes. Not shabby. He is a true point guard and will make players like Murray that much better. More of a team player than Acuff if he is still there.
Starters: Flemings, Barrett, Murray, Walker and Raynaud. You have offense but more importantly defense spacing. Walker is what we have needed for years ar power forward. A tough big who can be the connector and shoots the three along with Murray as spacers to allow Barrett and Flemings to attack the middle.
Backups: Carter, Clifford, Hunter, Achuiwa and Cardwell. Nor bad.
Now to draft. You already have Flemings. At #19 I would pick Alex Karaban and at #34 Zuby Ejiofor.
Ps The Sabonis trade takes 11 mill off the books. Add that to the above 21 mil. Now you have 32 mil off the books. Perry can do a lot with 32 mil. plus the MLE which now is roughly 15 mil.
trading Domas just to shed his contract is ludicrous. Last time I checked, he’s a good player. Does he have a permanent back injury or something?
What do you mean Eddie. I’m have Sabonis trades to the Raptors for RJ Barrett and Gtady Dick plus their #19 pick in this years draft. That is more than just cap space.
Perry could outbid himself for another washed up pg @ 25 million only to trade him 1/3rd of the way into the season for nothing. Because that’s what Scott Perry does with cap space. It is “a lot”, most definitely. Useful? Not so much.
why are you asking me about your trade proposals? They’re your proposals, not mine. Of all the players you mentioned, who would be your top target and why?
I don’t get it. Read above it explains everything. Sure the are my proposals not yours. That is why I posted them.
you posted it as a direct question to me instead of posting it as a question to the entire forum when I have not been proposing trades, shopping players, etc.
however, moving on from that, I did ask you a genuine question: who is your top target and why?
Myn top target is Kingston Flemings at #7. Acuff is an great offensive player but doesn’t play defense. Flemings plays defense but also plays offense.He is a 38% from 3 attacks the rim very well but his greatest assist is he can set up other players as he is a team player. He has probably the best first step to get around player probably in the draft. He is the only true point guard of the 4 other high draft guards in the draft. And in my opinion for what its worth as an old coach he is a winner. He plays defense and to me “Defense wins championships” Enough said.
And therein lies the conundrum: Championships? None of the current players the Kings have will be on a Kings championship team in the next 5-10 years. If championship was in the mind of Vivek, we would have tanked hard this season into a top 3 pick, get a GM with forward thinking like Presti, and wiped the slate clean.
Championships, geez can we just get to competent and watchable first?
There are a lot of people who like Flemings. Although I don’t have Flemings in my top 8, that is reasonable. The thing is, if that’s your top target, you can draft him at 7 and do not have to trade Domas.
I have to do a late edit to this comment. Flemings at 7 would not be reasonable.
That’s a fair trade for Domas given his contract. I’m not sure the trade works matching salary wise. Also, RJ is expiring this coming season as well so I would view the trade as getting cap relief for next offseason with Lavine and DDR also coming off the books.
Getting cap relief and kind of rebuilding through FA next offseason might be one of the best avenues available right now given how short the Kings are on assets.
Does Cap Relief get triple doubles?
I like this idea, but do you really think they would put LaVine coming off the bench? I’m assuming we can probably trade him at the deadline, which would be great. But until then, Barrett would have to come off the bench.. but I like the balance it would provide because Barrett can play the two sometimes the three you also have Hunter playing the 3/4
We need top-end talent.
Period.
Still a chance for Fox vs Mike Brown in the finals. We need as much negative publicity as possible for the dismissive little dimwit.
#Selltheteam
or, alternatively
#Apathyisyourfriend
HB and McLaughlin say hi.
OKC and Spurs just recently worked out Allen Graves out of Santa Clara. He’s one of my sleeper picks should the Kings get a later first round pick.
You know what, if the Spurs and Thunder (who’ve also worked out Yaxel) like a guy, maybe the Kings should just pick that dude before they do. Lord knows the Kangz could do far worse.
Yeah. Both these orgs have had their misses, but not on a Kangz level.
Graves is worth a look. Definitely a second rounder but possibly a first rounder. I have not seen a full game of Graves, but the YouTube player evaluations are enticing.
With Yax, I like the combo of Hunter, Keegan, Yax at 2, 3, 4 or sometimes 3, 4, 5.
Picking up from our thread a while ago, I’d rather have Lavine’s expiring contract and then resign Hunter than have 2 years of Morant and not be able to resign Hunter. Lavine could put up video game numbers and be traded at the deadline for something valuable.
Second rounder? Naw, the dude is a first round pick. In fact, I would’t be surprised if ends up being a lottery pick. The guy is riser with some of the best analytics in the draft, despite his poor metrics at the combine.
possibly. I said I haven’t watched a full game of his. I would love to but I am only doing that currently for players considered at 7. When watching player evaluation videos for him, people have questions about where he defends on defense, foul rate, foot speed and that he did not attempt a single three off the dribble. That does not mean he can’t be a first rounder. It just means I am not prioritizing a deep dive (which means watching full games) on him for consideration at 7.
At this point, I’m pretty content on keeping Lavine and Demar and letting those contracts expire for some cap relief as well. Almost a combined $75 million for those two next season lol. Only the Kangz.
I agree. Don’t take on additional years of contracts for bad players just to maybe get a 2nd round pick. To think LaVine and DDR bring back anything good is just silly. Let them expire, move on.
Someone has to get moved to get the Kings out of the luxury tax, and it’s probably going to be DeRozan. I also think LaVine is getting moved in a deal for Ja Morant. Vivek just can’t resist, and he’ll tell himself that Morant replaces Fox (but better, haha) and they’re the Beam Team again. It will be an even bigger disaster than the current disaster.
Randumb Thoughts
If the Spurs pull off the upset over OKC, it’s certainly going to be a busy offseason for Presti, likely is anyways given the contracts/cap constraints and picks they have.
OKC is clearly is win now as much as possible mode with SGA, the one dude standing in their way of ships over the next half decade plus is Wemby. And who’s the only player in the NBA that can kind of matchup with the Alien? The Freak.
A trade centered around Chet, salary filler and picks for the Freak makes a ton of sense IMO.
So Giannis ends up on OKC. I think Lebum ends up back on the Cavs. His ego has been shattered by the Luka trade and the Lakers being Luka’s team. Makes sense for the Cavs to run it back with LBJ. If Harden doesn’t resign, I think the Cavs would also take a shot at trading for Kyrie, which shouldn’t cost much as the Mavs at this point I have to assume just want to get out of his contract.
I know we still have the WCF and the Finals, but I think this is going to be a really fun offseason with a ton of trades and movement. We’ll see if Perry and Vivek can get in the mix.
Yeah, with the amount of talent and future draft capital OKC and the Spurs have assembled, it makes competing in the West almost futile. Teams might rightfully kick things into neutral for the next decade. The Kings are no where near those two teams and have no ability to reach those heights for a very very long time. If they can somehow assemble future draft capital, it might be the wisest choice.
From all that, I agree, it could be a very active offseason. Teams like Minny and Denver don’t have the juice and have peaked. Where do they go from here with capped out rosters?
If Wemby stays healthy and Castle and Harper continue on their current trajectory, the Spurs are pretty unbeatable. I’m still dubious that Wemby can stay healthy with that frame, so there will always be a window for other contenders.
To your point about Minny and Denver, there are teams that are close contenders but at this point know they can’t quite compete and will need to pivot or improve somehow or hope for injury luck.
Given how much better OKC and SA are than the rest of the West, teams like the following should grow a pair and sell high on their vet superstar:
Clips and Leonard
Duds and Steph
Rockets and KD
Suns and Booker
I wonder if the key to the Spurs their 3 guards, I get that Wemby is freak but is there a player that can match up with him at all? I think the ability to have guys to challenge/pressure SGA and make the other bench players step up makes them so good Also based on his frame what is his career length going to be? Does he get injured and will done soon. I think all the talk of trading Fox is short sighted as maybe there time is the next 5-6 years. So why trade away from what is a strength of your roster
I wonder if Giannis after all the minutes he has played might be damaged goods and not a reliable option going forward?
I’d love to see a way to get Yax as he reminds me of Jalen Johnson. A line-up of Carter, Nique, Keegs/Hunter, Yax, Max/Cardwell can be edible viewing than the POS 2025 line up. Or if we get Flemings, then go after John Collins for the 4 spot.
Acouple of thughts. First Jarance Walker is a almost perfect fit at PF for the Kings. Far better than John Collins. Inprosed a trade involving Monk. Might look it up in this same venue. I think it might work because the Pacers really like Monk.
Second The Kings are doing to bring in Alex Karadan and Zuby Ejiofor for workouts. Those are the ones IMO fit the Kings to a team. If and if we can get the #19 pick from the Raptors in a Sabonis trade then we get Karaban at #19 and Ejiofor at # 34. A great hall.
If I’m Indy, I am not letting go of Walker for an undersized shooting guard in Monk. Walker has been steadily improving the last 3 seasons and with Hali coming back next season, they are going on a revenge tour of the East.
There is a way to get Yax: draft him at 7.
Knowing Vivek’s tendency to draft older rookies and want instant results, that is a real possibility.
Yax, is pretty good and think he would be better than all of these guards, who are a bit of an unknown (picks 5-10 may have equal value, if the focus is on the point guards).
I know he did not shoot well in colleges, but the talent is there. He’s a nice 3/4 and we are so damn focused on guards over the last few years. Does anyone think that Nate Ament could be a good 7th pick (or trade down to 8-10), based on upside, length, and the defense?
Welp, Vivek firing the coach that goes to the NBA Finals the very next season. Kangz.
That should have been the trajectory of the Beam Team if they had not run it back and continued to get pieces. At least get out of the 1st round.
Should the Spurs make it as well, I’d love for the national media to bring up the stupidity of the Kings multiple times during the Finals. Throw them eggs!
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