The Sacramento Kings will await their NBA Draft Lottery fate in eight days. Could the Alabama star become an option?
Fans of the Sacramento Kings by now know landing the top pick of the NBA Draft isn't guaranteed.
The lottery system still leaves unpredictability. Meaning the Kings could either land at No. 1 or before No. 15.
KingsRoundtable rolled out multiple names throughout the pre-draft process. Names like Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Cameron Boozer of Duke, Brayden Burries of Arizona and more recently, Allen Graves of Santa Clara all have been mentioned as a possibilities.
But again, we must think about the non-top 10 possibilities too in the event Sacramento doesn't land close to the top five. Hence why Labaron Philon of Alabama enters the picture here.
Growing Leader
Philon endured a rather polarizing start to his 2025-26 season: Jumping back to Bama at the last minute after originally testing the NBA Draft waters and portal.
Turns out returning to Tuscaloosa boosted his stock.
Philon looked like a more efficient scorer and floor leader. He took pride in initiating Nate Oats' spread and spacing attack that involves shooting from long range.
Philon leaves the Crimson Tide averaging 22.0 points per game and dishing out five assists. But he managed to improve his perimeter shooting in nailing 2.5 out of 6.2 attempts.
Shiftiness on Floor
Philon is skilled at attacking defenders with short area quickness.
He knows when it hit a change of pace on the floor too. Philon can even break down and explode through defenders off the dribble thanks to showing an explosive first step.
His return to the college game allowed him to hone on his start-stop ability, knowing when to hit the personal brakes and shoot from there.
He comes with plenty of shake in evading defenders while creating enough separation between himself and the defender before unleashing the shot. His biggest strength is how he operates in pick-and-roll situations, which shines a light on the strong command he has.
Scrapper Edge with Cerebral Side
Philon plays with a feisty demeanor...and his Tide teammates fed off of his energy.
But Alabama trusted his brains too.
Philon knows when to set up his teammates, then attack once the defense is set. He turns to his brains to find the weak area of the defense and pick that side apart.
While he plays a fast style, the plethora of game experience allowed him to play more cerebrally on the floor.
Areas of Concern
He's a streaky shooter. He'll be on fire during most instances, but once he misses once it becomes repetitive. Some believe he tends to rush his shots.
He also shoots with a rather flat release compared to a floating arc. Which can get blocked often at the next level.
He must develop an even balance of playing fast then slowing down at the next level. Head coach Doug Christie will want fast paced play, but with limited passing mistakes.
Are Kings a Fit?
Philon brings intrigue as an experienced option.
But he's not the first option for general manager Scott Perry and Christie. Philon only enters the picture if, again, Sacramento somehow falls out of the top 10.
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