The Kings own pick No. 4 in the NBA draft, and with a consensus clear top four prospects available, they should come away with a strong player. However, there is no guarantee that the player will be happy to go to Sacramento.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said the Kings are not the “preferred destination” for Purdue point guard Jaden Ivey, whom many believe is the best point guard in the draft. However, even if Ivey tries to get Sacramento to pass him up by withholding medical information and declining workout invitations, the team may still take him regardless since they've done so with players in the past. If Ivey does successfully get the Kings to go in another direction, Givony reports that new head coach Mike Brown is beginning to favor Iowa forward Keegan Murray, but Sacramento could also look to trade back if another team wants to jump up for Ivey.
The Magic, Thunder and Rockets own each pick in the top three, and both Givony and Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo have those three taking Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren in whichever order. However, while Givony still has Ivey to Sacramento, Woo has the Kings taking Murray at No. 4, with the Pistons grabbing Ivey a pick later.
Ivey told The Spun that Detroit is a preferred destination, if he falls that far.
The Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2006—the longest playoff drought in the league—and their draft history isn’t the best either. After trading Tyrese Haliburton and Marvin Bagley during the season, Sacramento only employs two of their own first-round picks, De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell.
