From unheralded recruit to elite collegiate scorer, Stanford’s breakout star brings a deep offensive bag and shifty playmaking to a Sacramento team eyeing backcourt depth late in the draft.
The Sacramento Kings will likely be looking for a young talent in the backcourt at the No. 7 overall pick, but if they decide to go elsewhere, there are multiple sneaky-good guard prospects later in this class.
Recently, we looked at late-first to second round front court options like Kansas C Flory Bidunga, Kentucky C Malachi Moreno, and Iowa State F Joshua Jefferson.
This profile will highlight the backcourt, diving into Stanford point guard Ebuka Okorie's rise to the NBA Draft after entering the season relatively unknown.
Unsung Star
Despite coming out of high school as a 4-star prospect, Okorie had little interest from power four programs, with Stanford offering the 2024-25 Gatorade New Hampshire Boys Basketball Player of the Year late in the recruiting cycle.
The Cardinal are sure glad they did, as Okorie was a top-10 scorer in the country, averaging 23.2 points per game on 47-35-83 splits.
Okorie was previously still deciding whether to stay in this year's extremely deep class or return to school, but announced he would be staying in the draft this past Thursday.
On a String
Okorie is an extremely gifted offensive talent with a never-ending bag.
Rather than calculating his moves, Okorie makes quick moves off the dribble, reacting and exploiting his defenders' moves.
Okorie excels at pulling up from different angles and spots on the court, using crafty dribble moves to create space and knock down jump shots.
Despite being a bit undersized, Okorie attacks the rim with purpose, making up for his slight build with strong and decisive moves at the rack.
Areas For Improvement
Okorie will need to put on weight to contend with the athleticism, size, and physicality at the next level.
While he was the main scoring guy at Stanford, he won't be in that role in the NBA.
Okorie must develop as a playmaker, as he averaged just 3.6 assists per game and sometimes struggled with turnovers.
Draft Projection
In ESPN's post-lottery mock, Okorie landed with the Minnesota Timberwolves at pick No. 28.
With Okorie's recent comments about staying in the draft, expect his name to continue rising up draft boards.
Are Kings a Fit?
If the Kings choose to stay at No. 7, they will likely draft their favorite guard prospect, as the back-half of the lottery is projected to be littered by the likes of Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Mikel Brown Jr., and Keaton Wagler.
But, if the Kings move up to select one of the standout forwards at the top of the draft board, Okorie could be an intriguing option in the late-first.
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