Now that we know the Sacramento Kings will have the 5th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, it’s worth taking a look at what that draft position has yielded historically. I’ll be honest, it’s a mixed bag. There are some first-ballot Hall of Famers, and there are some massive busts.

Year Player Drafted By

1980 James Ray Denver Nuggets
1981 Danny Vranes Seattle Super Sonics
1982 LaSalle Thompson Kansas City Kings
1983 Sidney Green Chicago Bulls
1984 Charles Barkley Philadelphia 76ers
1985 Jon Koncak Atlanta Hawks
1986 Kenny Walker New York Knicks
1987 Scottie Pippen Seattle Super Sonics
1988 Mitch Richmond Golden State Warriors
1989 J.R. Reid New Orleans Hornets
1990 Kendall Gill New Orleans Hornets
1991 Steve Smith Miami Heat
1992 LaPhonso Ellis Denver Nuggets
1993 Isaiah Rider Minnesota Timberwolves
1994 Juwan Howard Washington Bullets
1995 Kevin Garnett Minnesota Timberwolves
1996 Ray Allen Minnesota Timberwolves
1997 Tony Battie Denver Nuggets
1998 Vince Carter Golden State Warriors
1999 Jonathan Bender Toronto Raptors
2000 Mike Miller Orlando Magic
2001 Jason Richardson Golden State Warriors
2002 Nickoloz Tskitishvili Denver Nuggets
2003 Dwyane Wade Miami Heat
2004 Devin Harris Dallas Mavericks
2005 Raymond Felton Charlotte Bobcats
2006 Shelden Williams Atlanta Hawks
2007 Jeff Green Boston Celtics
2008 Kevin Love Memphis Grizzlies
2009 Ricky Rubio Minnesota Timberwolves
2010 DeMarcus Cousins Sacramento Kings
2011 Jonas Valanciunas Toronto Raptors
2012 Thomas Robinson  Sacramento Kings
2013 Alex Len  Phoenix Suns
2015 Mario Hezonjia Orlando Magic
2015 Dante Exum Utah Jazz
2016 Kris Dunn Minnesota Timberwolves

Even the Kings recent history with the 5th pick is mixed, with the Kings nabbing DeMarcus Cousins in 2010 and Thomas Robinson in 2012. But one thing stands out as I review this list. The really good picks were generally in loaded drafts, while the busts were usually in weaker drafts. And while that may seem like common sense, what I mean is that in a strong draft like we’re facing in 2017, we can be fairly confident that the Kings will get a solid player.