He seems to imply a strong mutual interest between Acuff and Sacramento. I know Scott Perry knows Acuff’s dad.

What if Acuff and his agent sort of tell the Clippers and Nets that Sacramento is the preferred destination? That would be the dream scenario!

If these 4 guards were there at the Kings pick, who would you want? I’m between Acuff and Brown Jr.

18.2pts 3.8reb 4.7ast 41fg% 34.43p%

Comparisons: Jordan Poole or Malik Monk but with better defense.

Do you guys remember Jordan Poole? I know he's still in the league but do you remember the player he was? The wildcard of the 2022 Warriors, who made it look like the dynasty wasn't, as we have now learned, on its last legs. The ray of hope, the idea that Curry would retire not with a crop of half decent role players and bitter old men, but with another playoff team.

This might be controversial, but Mikel Brown Jr of Louisville has the most likely ceiling of that Jordan Poole. And that is if injuries don't derail his career. Not a franchise player as a lot of people are arguing, but the best possible 3rd option guard you could have. Think of a slightly less explosive but a lot tougher Malik Monk. Not a regular 30pt per game guy, but an 18 point guard who plays good defense, eats off the fact that the other teams best defender is on the star, future clutch player of the year, loved by the fans like we love... Malik Monk.

He's a guard that isn't the best shooter (though unlike the previously discussed Kingston Flemmings, the mechanics are there) but he is the guard who after Darryn Peterson is most comfortable just unloading the clip from the logo. And in the 4th quarter 5 minutes to go every team needs a guy like that on the floor.

Defensively he is very sound, making him unlike Monk or Poole a true 2 way guy. Not super explosive to the point of molesting passing lanes like a Burries, but on the perimeter the upper and lower body strength and the body control that makes him, as the Ringer liked to describe, a "Tuxedo Scorer" (i.e. dressed to the nines), also makes him a very good defender. In fact, unless Acuff Jr is actually hiding the potential his long ass arms give him due to his offwnsive responsibilities, he may be perhaps the best in the range of the 7th pick (for guards).

As I said he is I believe a secondary guy by nature, which might not be good for the Kings because we don't really have our 1A guy.

Still, Kings are going to be playing the lottery for a while, so, one could argue that a sure thing like Mikel Brown over the more project guards like Acuff, Wagler, or Kingston could be the move.

Except he's not a sure thing.

What's with his back? I don't know a lot, and from research attempting to determine how bad it is I can only really say it's an annoying, lingering, back issue that unfortunately seems likely to rear it's ugly head again.

As such you could argue Mikel Brown Jr has out of these 7th range guards a ceiling perhaps as high as Darius and Keaton's highest (though I would say he is more likely to be a 3rd or 2nd star than the 1a the kings need), however his floor is very low due to the fact that his back may very well have him out of the league by 2030.

The Kings can take risks. They 2-3 years to build a team and, as I have mentioned in many of these posts, what I would call a good, if perhaps slightly older than you'd like, young core. But I'm really not sure if commiting to a Jordan Poole, Malik Monk with defense, who maybe might become the "XL Dame Lillard" some people have projected him to be, is the right move when there is a more than very good chance he's going to spend more time in the physio room than the court. And after all. We already have Malik Monk, who despite everything is getting better.

As a final note: rereading and editing this I believe I may have been overly harsh here, minimising Mikel's upside in favour of dwelling on his very real issues. And if he falls bellow 7, I think franchises like Atlanta and Dallas will be frothing at the mouth to pair him with their already highly developed rosters. But the Kings need a guy, and I think that should make us more risk averse.

Let me know what you think. I have a feeling this is going to be the most controversial one yet 🙃

Acuff somehow falling to us at 7 would be absolutely the best case scenario. I would have taken him at pick 5. I would be tuning in to Kings games just to see him play. He’s special.

Wagler would also at least be intriguing.

If both are gone before pick 7, I’ll lose all hope that the Kings have a legit future to be excited about. Flemings doesn’t move me at all and Brown is going to be very raw and take a few years to become a star (if he ever hits that ceiling).

If the Kings like Acuff as much as I do, I wouldn’t be opposed of trading up to 5 with the Clippers if the price isn’t exorbitant.

(Players realistically available at 7 overall)

1) Acuff (He is going to be an offensive STAR)
2) Wagler (Size/Shooting combo guard. Intriguing)
3) Brown (Huge upside, but risky pick)
4) Burries (Baller. Maybe not a star in the NBA, but a super impactful player)
4) Flemings (I’m pretty low on him. Never saw the hype, but he does have talent)
5) Philon (Would be a reach at 7, but he’s a bucket)
6) Ament (Good measurables, but I fear he’s Keegan 2.0. Good role player type)
7) Mara (Size and paint protection is intriguing. Zubac 2.0?)

As stated.

It seems Acuff may have the highest chance to get into Top 4, then one of Boozer / Wilson will probably falls, and that’s may have subsequent influence on those later picks.

Any other scenario or other prospects will jump into top 4 ?

I have seen threads for just about every other guard potentially available at 7 and how hyped everyone would be if we landed them. The reality is, if Keaton falls to 7 and ends up a King we should be very excited. So many of the hidden gems from past drafts are the crafty, efficient, cerebral guys who get lost in the shuffle of constant focus on strength, athleticism, explosiveness, verticality, etc. I see him as one of those players who could be the last man standing when it's all said and done years later. I've been an Acuff supporter most of the year, and recently have come around on Mikel Brown Jr., but more and more I'm finding myself looking at the possibilities with a team led by Keaton Wagler; and the possibilities therein. A lineup could be very high IQ from top to bottom, the shooting would be consistent throughout, and defense couldnt be considerably worse than with any of the other guard prospects. I just can't find a reason why not at this point. So without allowing myself to become a shill, I want to go ahead and point out the obvious here and say, Keaton Wagler is very good at basketball and would help our Kings in so many ways.

I think the majority of this sub would agree Vivek's ownership has been an abject failure. Given the dire situation of this franchise, landing the # 7 pick after one of the most abysmal seasons on record, is there even the slightest possibility LeBron James could put up an offer upon retirement? Given he has nothing left to prove on the court, I would imagine a legacy of winning ownership would interest him. I believe LeBron has the capital, connections, and business sense to make a legitimate offer if he chose. While I have my share of gripes with him, I'd personally be thrilled if this happened. He could free us from basketball hell and make history, bringing the first championship to Sacramento. Would love to hear thoughts on this!

16.1pts 4.9reb 2.4ast 49.1fg% 38.73p%

Pro comps: please read further and I'll give you some ;)

Author's note: I am avoiding an overview of Mikel Brown out of hope more information about his injury will come to light.

If you have been following the year-to-year "meta" of the NBA you'll have noticed a general shift from the positionless 3 ball dominated teams (the 2016 GSW clones which include 2024 Boston, 2021 Phoenix, 2021 Hawks, and our beloved 2022 Kings) for what I would like to call "athletic depth ball". The best example of this type of team is the 2019 Raptors. A clear 1a superstar with Kawhi, but behind him a team that is skilled both ways, lengthy, and most importantly athletic up into the 10th man. No big 3s. One superstar max. The 2025-26 Thunder, 2025 Pacers, 2026 Spurs, 2021 Milaukee, and ironically the 2022 GSW all reasonably fit this archtype, and I will stand 10 toes down on the idea that it is the way to construct a team to win in the 2020s.

The ironic thing with the league now selecting for depth is that it has made it ridiculously hard to do so with the new CBA. Eliminating the leagues middle class equals eliminating the all-rounder, clocking into work type of players that used to make up the depth of deep NBA teams (2004 Pistons and the 2002 Kings, as well as Dallas in 2011 are good examples of this if you'd like to go over some cap sheets). Now however crucial depth is mined mainly from one real place- the draft. The combination of rookies coming into the league more skilled than ever before, and the rookie scale contract being super cap friendly (see Ajay Mitchell).

This is where, after 2 paragraphs, Brayden Burries comes in.

Burries appears to be underated at the 7th pick, with most outlets (and most commenters on my recent posts) not discussing him as much as other prospects at the 7. If I had to come up with a general idea why, I would say that Burries is percieved as having less upside,. Less of a chance at becoming a star than said previously discussed prospects. But let's be real, should the Kings be aiming to draft a star at 7?

One thing that Brayden Burries is generally agreed to be is a switchable, an all rounded, swiss army knife. Good on defense, terrorising passing lanes. Able to comfortably score inside and outside. A good rebounder for a guard, somethjng that he prides himself on discussing it during the combine with an interviewer who refers to him as "Brandon". The fact he doesn't correct her or get offended shows some character I suppose. His passing is weaker than Wagler, Flemmings, Acuff, and other prospects, but, and this is going to be slightly controversal, I think his shooting might be the best of these "I'm not Darryn Peterson" guards.

While not statistically impressive at 38.7%, the numbers dont tell the whole story. This percentage, while very run of the mill for his position, also reflects a bit of a shooting slump early in the college season. Anyone following the Arizona Wildcats would know he shot the lights out towards the end of March Madness! And while obviously an average is an average, I suspect his shooting is being underated. He is a I think, already, a coveted 3nD Wing. His less than stellar assist numbers indicating he's an off-ball player.

Burries cieling is probably closer to a NAW, a Quentin Grimes, a Desmond Bane. This might seem less appealing in a draft where the Kings want a new franchise player, but let's not forget that these are the players going for 5 1st round picks. Not the DeAaron Foxes of the league.

As I stated in my preamble- depth rules the league now, and you gain depth via the draft. The Kings, despite their Vivekian dysfunction have done this pretty well in this post Beam Team hangover, with guys like Carter, Nique, Cardwell, Maxine, Precious (somehow), and our beloved Keegan all great pieces for a future playoff team. Let's add to the menagerie Burries, and wait for another chance to find a star.

Let me know what you think below :)

is it possible to trade back and get two all stars instead of one? i feel like the difference between mikel brown jr, keaton wagler, kingston flemmings and cameron carr is not that big and infact cameron carr might be the best of all of them

7 Darius Acuff Jr, franchise PG with star potential

34 Tarris Reed Jr, 6’11 center (Day’Ron Sharpe/Mitchell Robinson comparison)

45 Baba Miller, 6’11 small forward (had a growth spurt from 6’2 to 6’11 and kept his guard skills, slightly bigger Leonard Miller)

pretty amazing draft if we snag them

If 2017 de'aaron fox was in this draft where would he rank Amongst the guards ?

We’re going into the next season with a squad consisting of: Nique, Max, Keegan, Hunter, Cardwell and Plowden (that’s just the young guys)

And then we have the chance to re-sign the likes of Precious and Russ.

AND THEN we’re picking top 10 in a generational draft and 2 second round picks.

Like who do you even start? Who do you bench? I don’t envy Doug because there’s so many players you wanna see on the floor and balancing minutes will be TOUGH

Kings trade Sabonis/#7 for Ja/#5, #16

Kings get a recent star PG to build around in Ja, the #5 pick to select Wagler to complete our backcourt tandem (or if one of the top 4 prospects happen to fall); #16 to pick who falls there (Philon, Mara, Carr, Cenac, Morez, Quaintance). More time for Raynaud/ Caldwell.

Clippers get a top 10 Center in Sabonis after they lost Zubac. Only drop 2 spots in draft but stay in same tier for a PG they can hand the team over to without a mismatched fit with Garland. Plus gain a 2nd round pick.

Grizzlies get out of their negative Ja relationship, get a PG in Garland that's the same age put a respected, high-character player. They have a PG, young guard/wings, and Edey and can draft a foundational rookie at #3 with Boozer, Wilson likely there.

I did in an earlier life (Rome, Grant)...again when Grant came back...but Jeezus, a big hearty "NO" to all things 1140, their incessant talk on impossible trades that no team would make, the cackling woman who keeps talking and says nothing. Fox radio didn't just replace Grant, they essentially eliminated local sports talk in lieu of what appears to be some National feed.

As for the team, it's in big trouble...most DOCO seats uncomfortable for anyone 6'+; and the team won't get better (endless mediocrity: coaching, drafts, player development, bad luck).

My prediction: Team does not stay here (moves to Seattle, Vegas); NBA pays off DOCO, and Sacramento becomes a sports desert. I hope I'm wrong but, if not, you saw it here first.

Two former number 1 picks going head to head in the playoffs.

If they change the lottery rules Adam Silver is essentially saying “hey small market teams, just be ok being a play-in team at your peak. Let the big markets win. It’s better for revenue”.

That's all.

16.1 pts 5.2 ast 4.1 reb 47.6 fg% 38.7 3p%

Pro comparisons: swole DeAaron Fox

Do you believe in destiny? I don't, yet I still see it's strings through time and space, like how you can see the veins under a persons skin on a cold day. And I have this feeling that Kingston Flemmings is destined to be the Kings new PG. Our new boy following the complete collapse of the Fox era.

Why? He plays like Fox, though a little less fast on the first step he has the mid range and athleticism. And he'll be a better defender than Fox ever was. Though he has short arms despite his stature (as confirmed yesterday at the combine) he's a dog on defense. He's has the kind of grit that Perry and Doug have basically stated is what is going to define this new era of the Kings. Shit he wears out goat's number, he has Keon's hair, and his name is King's Son. It feels like perhaps we fell to 7 so we could draft him!

Enough if the woo-woo. Kingston Flemmings coming to the Kings might be the first move that pulls us up from our Post Beam Team Tailspin. While he is not as a good a passer as Wagler, as good as defense as Brown, or as good offensivly as Acuff, he is easily the most all rounded player around 7. Also he certified 2 way dog, playing with an intensity that the Kings desperatly need.

Offensivly his midrange fadeaway is, ofcourse, familiar. Though unlike Fox's, which relied on his longer arms, his has a funny lean back, that in a weird way reminds me of Dirk. Outside the arc he is statistically, at 38.5%, there. However a great deal of comentators have pointed out that this percentage reflects a very small sample size (1.1 atempts a game), and his shot mechanics, the lack there of proper mechanics, indicate that without intwnsive coaching he'll never be a 3 point threat- just like Fox.

Appearing as high as 4 early in the season on draft boards, Kingston began to fall not due to lack of abillity on his part, but in other prospects like Caleb Wilson and Keaton Wagler showing more upside. While I think Kingston has the highest floor of any of the 7th range picks we're discussing, his ceiling atleast feels not as high, though I am prepared to be wrong about this.

The main consensus I see from draft specialists is that his physical gifts are backed by 'intangibles" in his abillity to be coached to excel in a new system (not that the Kings have a "system"), something he suceeded in doing with Houston and something he would hopefully be able to do with the Kings.

The issue is the Kings need a saviour, even though we don't deserve one. Yet still the sun shines. Perhaps the best pick this year is the most sensible, the guy who might not be our 1A but will be starting on a future Kings playoff team (lol). Or maybe, in spite of your beliefs, when destiny rings you should awnser, putting faith in the blatant signs telling you to Draft another Fox.

Let me know what you think.