Bleacher Report Predicts Kings' Draft Selections
by Cutter Hicks, Sports 1140 KHTK
In a recent post by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, the Kings may have some mighty picks through the 2017 NBA Draft at both the 5th and 10th picks.
There's been a lot of talk about De'Aaron Fox being a perfect fit for Head Coach Dave Joerger's system, especially since the Kings will be looking for a point guard in the upcoming draft.
However, Wasserman speculates that Fox will be plucked at the no. 4 pick by the Phoenix Suns in hopes of tightening up the defense efficiency, which was ranked 28th this past season.
With the no. 5 pick in the draft, he predicts that Vlade Divac and co. will snag SF Jayson Tatum from Duke.
"He's viewed as one of the draft's safer bets, given his tools, polished skills and production (16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 threes) at Duke. Sacramento grabs Tatum at No. 5."
After moments of wait, the Kings will have another turn to bring in the future with the no. 10 pick. Still needing a point guard, Wasserman projects that the team will draft Dennis Smith, Jr. from NC State.
"He'd likely be in the mix for the Kings five picks earlier. Smith could be a top-five talent with plenty of production to back up the potential, having averaged 18.1 points and 6.2 assists. But questions over his decision-making and leadership may cause teams to pass."
These picks were speculated at the start of the NBA Finals. You can check out the full listing here.
