Following Sunday’s NBA Draft lottery, the Kings are now stuck at the 13th and 45th overall picks. With Sacramento coming off a season in which they regressed and missed the playoffs, general manager Monte McNair finalizing his picks in the 2024 draft will be crucial to righting the ship both in the present and the long term.
Will Malik Monk leave in free agency and create a more pressing immediate need with his departure? Is there a young player who can fit in with Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis to provide a youthful spark behind the one-two punch of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis?
Here’s how experts project the Kings will use their first and second-round picks in the upcoming draft.
No. 13 overall: G/F Tidjane Salaun – France
A somewhat raw prospect, Salaun is averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in 51 appearances with Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A, the top flight of professional men’s basketball in France. Salaun is only 18 years old, but he offers a dynamic upside for Sacramento to pair on the wing with Murray as the Kings build a long-term path to sustain his recent success.
“Salaun is far from a finished product, but he has improved tremendously throughout the season in many areas, including his shot selection and quick decision-making when the ball is in his hands,” Peek wrote.
No. 45 Overall: G/F Harrison Ingram – North Carolina
Ingram spent his first two seasons at Stanford before transferring to North Carolina, averaging 11.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and a steal in 102 career college games. At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, Ingram offers an intriguing wing option that would give Sacramento some much-needed length on the perimeter.
While no second-round pick is a sure thing, Ingram’s extensive college experience suggests he could enter the NBA with a solid floor even if the long-term benefit remains a mystery.
No. 13 Overall: Ja’Kobe Walter SG/SF – Baylor
With Monk’s impending unrestricted free agency looming, Sacramento could desperately need to replace the key minutes it has counted on from its sixth man over the past two seasons. Walker averaged 14.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for Baylor during the 2023-24 season and showed notable offensive potential during his lone college campaign.
“A motion shooter like Walter, who can come off screens and provide high-level defensive intensity, makes a lot of sense,” Givony wrote. “He also has a lot of potential to grow at 19 years old.”
No. 45 Overall: Keshad Johnson PF – Arizona
Johnson, a native of Oakland, California, returns to Northern California in this mock after the Kings took the Arizona product in the second round. Johnson spent four seasons at San Diego State before transferring to Arizona, making 149 total college appearances in his career.
The 22-year-old forward averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Wildcats during the 2023-24 season, shooting the ball at an efficient 53 percent clip. Johnson’s wealth of college experience is a plus, while his 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame could make his positional fit in the NBA a mystery, as he falls between the typical size of a small forward and a wing. -pivot.
No. 13 Overall: Devin Carter G – Providence
Carter appeared in 96 games for the Friars over three seasons, averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in his final college campaign. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard may fill out the stat sheet, but he also boasts a notable defensive pedigree. O’Connor noted the importance of Carter’s two-way ability should he assume a replacement role for Monk if the latter were to leave this offseason.
Keon Ellis became a big difference-maker for the Kings last year because of his defense,” O’Connor wrote. “Now imagine if a shutdown presence like Carter replaced Malik Monk, who could leave in the free agency. “Sacramento would get the two-way players it needs and the entire outlook of the team could change.”
No. 45 Overall: Harrison Ingram F – North Carolina
“After drafting a defense-oriented player in the first round, let’s have the Kings land here again but at a different position,” O’Connor wrote. “Ingram’s playmaking ability could also fit perfectly with Sacramento’s motion system.”
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