Sacramento is aggressively pursuing a second lottery selection to pair a frontcourt playmaker like Yaxel Lendeborg or Dailyn Swain with their seventh overall pick.
With the NBA Draft a handful of days away, the Sacramento Kings are beginning to get aggressive about potentially moving back into the bottom-half of the lottery.
According to The Consensus NBA, the franchise is targeting the 9-15 draft range to potentially move back into the first round, pairing another lottery-level talent with their No. 7 overall selection.
According to league sources, Sacramento has already had discussions with two other franchises.
While the Kings are likely to address the back court with their opening pick, moving back into this range would allow them to add to the front court, with wing prospects like Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, his teammate Morez Johnson Jr., or Texas' Dailyn Swain projected to be available.
Roundtable's Lorenzo Reyna identified what Lendeborg could bring to Sac Town, especially with his playmaking.
"Lendeborg presents some "point forward" traits on the floor, that makes him look like a closet point guard," Reyna wrote. "Another words, he knows when to become a facilitator. Lendeborg smartly sends out the pass when teammates are cutting inside. He also sets up alley-oops too...as seen in one of his highlights against Saint Louis during March Madness."
En route to a National Championship, Lendeborg averaged 18 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, shooting at ridiculous 55/47/85 splits.
He will likely be off the board by the end of the lottery.
Johnson, Lendeborg's teammate on the wing, played in all 40 games for the Wolverines and was a crucial part of their title run.
In the National Championship game against UConn, Johnson recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, while rejecting two Husky shot attempts and adding a steal.
Johnson's game differs from Lendeborg's as a scorer, as Johnson likes to do his work closer to the rim, while occasionally stepping out for a 3-point attempt.
With Lendeborg likely being the first Wolverine off the board, Johnson is certainly a good fallback option later in that 9-15 range.
Swain, another potential target for the Kings, has been one of the largest risers throughout the pre-draft process.
In my full-depth profile about the Texas standout, he was mocked towards the end of the first round, but has moved into lottery consideration following a strong combine.
Like Lendeborg, Swain does damage with the ball in his hands, playing a point forward role for the Longhorns.
Swain recorded double-digits in all four of Texas' March Madness matchups, adding 11 or more rebounds and assists each game.
While moving back into the first round could be a pricy endeavor for Sacramento, the talent-level in this year's draft class is certainly worth it.
If a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Golden State Warriors are looking to move back for additional compensation, the Kings could pounce on the opportunity.
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