Sacramento has plenty of NBA draft prospects to sort through. That includes March Madness star Keaton Wagler.
The Sacramento Kings are officially in rookie-hunting mode.
General manager Scott Perry is urged to take AJ Dybantsa of BYU by most fans. Yet it all depends on where Sacramento lands once lottery pairings are unveiled.
Head coach Doug Christie must co-sign on the selections too, especially since the Kings handed him a new vote of confidence for next season.
This 2026 draft class is a loaded one.
We here at Kings Roundtable are cycling through who presents the best fits for Sacramento. We're diving into overall fit, how they can co-exist with the current roster setup, and if they're the guys who can elevate the franchise.
Keaton Wagler of Illinois officially entered the draft waters Saturday. He's fresh off putting the Illini into the Final Four for the first time in 21 years.
Time to see if the prized Illinois freshman can fit the Kings.
High-Volume Scorer
Wagler heads to the pros after averaging 17.9 points per game.
He's even lit up nationally-ranked teams, which is fueling his draft intrigue.
Wagler torched No. 4 Purdue with 46 points on Jan. 24. He dropped 28 points against Nebraska on Feb. 1, which was No. 5 at the time. Even national champion Michigan witnessed Wagler go off for 23 points on Feb. 27.
Wagler later poured in 25 against Iowa to seal Illinois' Final Four bid during the Elite Eight, ending the Fighting Illini's Final Four drought. UConn ended Wagler and Illinois' season, but he still scored 20 against the Huskies.
NBA teams, including the Kings, will know Wagler stepped up in big games. Making him beyond ready for the bright lights of the pro game.
High Hoops IQ & NBA-Ready
Obviously Wagler can hit 20 to 46 points on any given night. But it's how he gets his points that should intrigue fans.
Wagler trusts his brains to attack defenses first. He's cerebral in identifying the opening in a defense, then executing the pick-and-roll.
Wagler handed Illinois a long-range sniper who hit 41 percent of his 3-pointers. Teams will fawn over his quick release on catch-and-shoot plays.
But they'll love Wagler's versatility. He can lead at both point and shooting guard, showing his selfless side on the floor.
Fit for Kings?
Christie should love the aspect of adding a younger scoring guard.
Russell Westbrook can't play forever, even if he returns next season. Wagler can learn from "Russ," while also attempting to form a mammoth young pairing with Nique Clifford in the backcourt.
But Sacramento adds a high volume distributor too. Wagler can share the ball with Maxime Raynaud and company.
He's a legit fit if Sacramento doesn't land inside the top three.
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