Whoever joins the Kings at No. 7 will certainly have their work cut out for them.
As is typically the case, the Sacramento Kings likely left Sunday’s NBA lottery feeling quite dismayed.
So much for the Kings having their first top-5 selection since 2022. Instead, the Kings dropped to No. 7 following their first 60-loss season in nearly 20 years.
Clearly, finishing 22-60 wasn’t enough to sway the NBA into ensuring the Kings are in a position where 37-year-old DeMar DeRozan won’t be their best player next year.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo is at least trying to give Kings fans a reason for optimism, mocking Houston point guard Kingston Flemings to Sacramento on Monday.
“Flemings’ explosive speed and winning intangibles swayed NBA executives this season,” Woo wrote, “and he projects as a lead playmaker who puts downhill pressure on defenses and should also add value as a defender.”
Flemings averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists for the Cougars last season. He finished his freshman season with a 47.6% shooting percentage and led Houston to its sixth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.
Unsurprisingly, Flemings made the most of his tournament opportunities, averaging 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and four assists on 50% shooting.
What was surprising, though, is that Flemings only averaged 11 shots per game, down from 12.8 in his first 34 games.
Flemings earned consensus second-team All-American honors, and he won’t turn 20 until Jan. 3. His shooting gradually improved throughout his freshman campaign, and he ended the year with an 84.5% free-throw percentage.
If taken at No. 7, Flemings would almost certainly enter next season as the Kings’ starting point guard. Russell Westbrook turns 38 in November and isn’t expected to return next season.
Zach LaVine settled in as the Kings’ starting shooting guard before suffering a season-ending pinky injury. However, LaVine also missed time with a left ankle sprain, and he has an extensive injury history dating back to his early years with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
If Flemings is unavailable at No. 7, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. could be another option. It is also possible that Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. are still on the board.
Woo mocked Wagler to the Clippers at No. 5 and Acuff to the Nets at No. 6.
Whoever joins the Kings will have their work cut out for them. Sacramento has only reached the playoffs once in the last two decades, falling in the 2023 Western Conference quarterfinals.
The Kings only have two winning seasons since the start of 2006.
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