Sacramento Kings Draft Review

Current Roster
PG: De'Aaron Fox/Frank Mason
SG: Buddy Hield/Garrett Temple
SF: Justin Jackson/Malachi Richardson
PF: Skal Labisierre/Harry Giles
C: Willie Cauley-Stein/Kosta Koufos/Georgios Papagiannis

2017 Free Agents
Unrestricted
F Rudy Gay
G Tyreke Evans
G Ty Lawson
G Darren Collison

Restricted
G Ben McLemore
G Langston Galloway

Who They Drafted
1-5 De'Aaron Fox, PG Kentucky
1-15 Justin Jackson, SF North Carolina
1-20 Harry Giles, PF/C Duke
2-34 Frank Mason III, PG Kansas
The Kings coveted De'Aaron Fox and, thankfully, didn't trade up to get him. The Kings roster, especially if they don't bring back any free agents, it so sparse that Fox will likely play a bulk of the minutes going forward. Fox is the centerpiece of the team now, so their roster will be shaped around his ability to penetrate and push the ball in transition. The Kings can give Fox and athletic pick-and-roll partner (Willie Cauley-Stein) and capable pick-and-pop shooter (Skal Labissiere) as well as shooters to space the floor (Skal, Justin Jackson, Buddy Hield) and give him room to operate. They also all run the floor well, be it for dunks or threes. These players are young, all on their rookie deals, but they make sense together offensively. Defensively, it is good that the Kings have some bigger off-guards (Hield, Garrett Temple, Malachi Richardson) because Fox at this current strength level is probably just a one position defender, though he should be very good at that in time.
After trading back, the Kings used their next pick on a wing, which makes sense because they don't have any on the roster right now. Jackson is a definite role player, but one that should play in the NBA for a long time do to his intelligence and craft. During his first two years at North Carolina, Jackson was a great gap-filler, a smart off-ball mover who always seemed to be in the right spot, Jackson scored on floaters, cuts, and in-between moves as well as making the correct extra pass. However, Jackson struggled from beyond the arc, limiting his upside. Last season, Jackson re-made his jumper and became a knockdown shooter, nailing 37% of his threes on 284 attempts, more than he took the previous two years combined. This shooting ability (provided it is legit) gives him excellent role player potential, able to score from range, hit floaters, and make good passes, a perfect fit with Fox, who is a poor shooter. Defensively, Jackson is smart, has good feet and balance, but isn't a super-athlete or incredibly long or strong. In the future, the Kings might want more of a stronger, lockdown guy on the wing to compliment Jackson.
After taking a safer choice in Jackson, the Kings took a bigger swing for the fences and drafted Harry Giles, who was once considered a potential top overall pick before a swath of knee injuries. Giles has great size and length for a big man and will likely be a center down the line as his body fills out. Before his injuries, Giles was a tremendous athlete who could move on the perimeter and finish well above the rim. Now? Who Knows! This is truly a risk/reward proposition, for if Giles is what he was last season, he's not an NBA player, if he recovers some? Well, the star potential is probably gone Giles could be a valuable energy big man that can rebound at a high rate, defend, and score around the basket. Giles also has shown flashes of some outside touch and it would make sense for him to remake his game as more of a stretch player if his athleticism doesn't come back.
In the second round, the Kings again went back to a safer choice in point guard Frank Mason. Mason is a smaller guard and more of a natural scorer than passer, though he does have enough skills to be a point guard. His most translatable skill is his shooting ability, where he is particularly deadly off the dribble. This shooting will help Mason get to the rim at the next level, as the threat of a pull-up is always on the table, which is good because much of Mason's game is his aggressive attacking nature. While it is always difficult for small guards to score at the rim, Mason has the floater game you need to be successful, even if it isn't a given. Mason competes defensively, which is all you can ask for, but will always be held back by his size/length. One way that I dislike this fit with the Kings is that Mason and Jackson probably can't play together, as it is likely neither can defend off-guards. For the Kings second unit, Mason makes sense as a focal point scorer that can heat up and carry their offense while being helped out defensively by some of their bigger guards and defensive minded big men.

What They Need Going Forward
What the Kings do really depends on what they want from this season. Since they own next year's draft pick, but do not in 2019, it would makes sense for them to wait until next summer to spend big. Giving this season over to the young players will not only aide in their development but also most likely ensure another high draft pick and young player to add to their core. Then, next summer with cash to splash they can bring in free agents to make their run. In the very short term, they'll probably want a veteran point guard to mentor their two rookies (but not so good that Dave Joergor plays them over Fox and Jackson) as well as a bigger wing to defend the players that are too big/strong for Justin Jackson. The Kings are finally heading in the right direction, they need to avoid disaster this summer.

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