NBA Insiders Amin Elhassan and Bradford Doolittle break down the draft profile, needs and potential picks of the 14 teams eligible for the NBA draft lottery this year. With some help from Chad Ford's Big Board, we take a look at the Sacramento Kings.
Personnel needs: PG, PF, C (?)
Major need: It feels like Sacramento has been trying to fill the point guard position since Mike Bibby left almost seven seasons ago. Trade-deadline acquisition Andre Miller can hardly be considered a long-term solution, and while Ray McCallum closed the campaign strongly, he still projects to be a high-level backup in the NBA.
Quiet need: The DeMarcus Cousins-Jason Thompson combo seems to have run its course, and it certainly feels like there needs to be a shakeup at power forward for the Kings, either by adding a true stretch big or a defensive-minded 4. Of course, this assumes that Sacramento doesn't trade Cousins himself!
Not a need: The uncertainty of Cousins' future aside, all positions for the Kings should be up for an upgrade. This is a roster that needs a lot of work.
Depth chart
Jobs in jeopardy: While the aforementioned Miller is a favorite of coach George Karl's, he's still a free agent, and as his career is winding down, it's not inconceivable that he doesn't want to spend any more time in Sacramento than he has to. Meanwhile, former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams is a restricted free agent, and there's a strong chance his qualifying offer will be rescinded. Finally, the usual vet flotsam and jetsam of guys such as Reggie Evans, Ryan Hollins and Omri Casspi are all free agents.
Don't mess with it: It will be interesting to see how Sacramento approaches the Cousins vs. Karl situation. Talent is hard to come by in this league, but the Kings organization long enabled and coddled Cousins to a point from which I'm not sure he can ever recover in Sacramento.
What free agency could solve
With limited projected cap space, Sacramento will likely operate as an over-the-cap team to preserve use of its exceptions, most notably the midlevel one. The point guard and power forward crops at those price levels are ridiculously thin, so don't expect either of those needs to get solved in free agency.
How they draft
If newly minted president of basketball operations Vlade Divac is calling the shots, this will be his first draft. General manager Pete D'Alessandro, whose future with the organization is still up in the air, did a decent job in his first draft, snagging Ben McLemore and McCallum. Last year's "crowd-sourced" pick of Nik Stauskas didn't look quite as prescient.
Three best fits
Justise Winslow (Chad Ford Big Board ranking: No. 6): Winslow's versatility on both the offensive and defensive ends could fill a lot of holes for the Kings, even though he doesn't necessarily fit the immediate needs at PG or big.
Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 7): The offensive fit between Trill and Boogie might not be instantaneous, but Cauley-Stein would certainly go a long way to upgrading the Kings' woeful defense, which was bottom-five in the NBA.
Stanley Johnson (No. 11): Tough wing defender, high motor and relentless competitor, all traits the Kings could use in spades. He's not known to be the best practice player in the world, and that will have to change on the next level, especially as he could use a healthy dose of skill development.
It's a good draft if ...
What they must accomplish: It feels like an annual rite, in which I plead for the Kings to add players whose first thought on a basketball court isn't, "How can I score?" Until Sacramento can add high-level-IQ/intangibles players, they're doomed to be incomplete.
Additional goals: Sacramento was one of the worst teams shooting from the perimeter in terms of both attempts and accuracy. Adding more 3-point shooting is essential