The Sacramento Kings are hoping Darius Acuff Jr. is the lead guard of the future, after dealing former draft picks Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox. See who was swapped out for Fox at the No. 5 pick of the 2017 draft below.
The Sacramento Kings have made some questionable decisions in the draft over the past decade.
Whether it's taking Marvin Bagley III over Luka Dončić or selecting Marrquese Chriss over Domantas Sabonis in 2016, the front office has some mistakes on the resume.
But, the Kings have drafted some significant talent at the point guard position, dating back to Tyrese Haiburton and De'Aaron Fox.
Fox, who was taken No. 5 overall in 2017, transformed the Kings and led Sacramento to the playoffs, but was unable to find a long-term deal with the franchise.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report redrafted the 2017 class, with the Kings going in a different direction at No. 5. and No. 10.
OG Anunoby was listed as the new selection for the Kings, which would have drastically shifted the trajectory of the franchise.
Vlade Divac, who served as the Kings' vice president of basketball operations and GM from 2015-2020, joined Byron Scott's Fast Break in late-April, saying that the front office had Dončić "at the top" of their draft boards a year prior to him being drafted.
"All of my assistants told me that he can play small forward, and I said no, no, Luka is a point guard. Luka is a coach on the floor," Divac said. "And I felt that if I get Luka, I would have to trade De’Aaron Fox, and I already got a relationship with Fox, and I see he’s a perfect fit for us, a small market team, and Luka was a big market player. If I get Luka, then down the road, I may lose him."
Of course, this is exactly what ended up happening with Fox, as he was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the trade that landed Zach LaVine in Sacramento.
Anunoby and Dončić would have been a complimentary duo in Sac Town, with Dončić leading the offense, and Anunoby providing floor spacing and elite perimeter defense.
The No. 10 overall pick in 2017, originally Gonzaga big man Zach Collins, was re-picked as Anunoby's New York Knicks teammate Josh Hart.
Hart has transformed himself into one of the most-unique role players in the league, providing elite rebounding at his position and the ability to put on multiple hats.
Of course, Anunoby and Hart have showed the ability to play alongside each other at the highest level, serving as two starters on the Knicks' NBA Championship squad.
While trading out Anunoby for Fox is a stretch, Hart would have definitely benefited the Kings more than Zach Collins, who was later traded for No. 20 overall pick Harry Giles.
Hindsight is always 20-20, but a Anunoby-Hart haul would have positioned the team to land a perennial superstar in Dončić the following season.
