We're only two weeks away from the 2018 NBA Draft and it appears that the Sacramento Kings are on the clock. After meeting with the Phoenix Suns, who hold the first overall selection in the draft, potential top pick DeAndre Ayton announced he will not work out for any other teams.
“I know I’m going number one,” Ayton told media members following his workout with the Suns on Wednesday.
When pressed on the issue, the 19-year-old center elaborated.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“Nobody told me (I’ll go first),” Ayton said. “That’s just me. I think I deserve that. I’ve worked hard.”
The 7-footer out of Arizona isn’t exactly going out on a limb. He’s at the top of almost every mock draft and he’s considered a “can’t miss prospect” in most NBA circles.
If Ayton is in fact off the board, the Sacramento Kings, who hold the No. 2 pick, should plan accordingly.
Word around the team is that the Kings continue to keep all options open regarding the selection. There is a small group of players that have caught Sacramento’s eye, including Duke big man Marvin Bagley III, Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. and European prospect Luka Doncic.
NBA
Kings owner and chairman, Vivek Ranadivé, and general manager, Vlade Divac, were both in Spain on Tuesday to attend Doncic’s latest victory in the European leagues. The 19-year-old playmaker posted 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in Real Madrid’s 92-83 win over Herbalife Gran Canaria.
This isn’t the first time representatives from the Kings have watched Doncic up close and personal. Most of the front office watched Doncic during the season and the team had two scouts at last month’s EuroLeague Finals where the Slovenian-born wing took home both league and Finals MVP honors.
Porter Jr. will hold a pro day in Chicago on Friday, which the Kings plan to attend. He has yet to release medical information, but during a radio interview with KMOX in St. Louis, Porter’s father said that the Bulls medical staff gave him a physical and they intend to share that information with teams in attendance.
The Kings plan to see Porter Jr. twice over the next week, including his pro day, followed by a smaller workout in Chicago with teams in the top 10 of the lottery closer to draft night. He’s an intriguing prospect, but teams drafting at the top end of the lottery will look hard at his medical records after he underwent back surgery in his lone season at Missouri.
With the draft just around the corner, the Kings have yet to host a top tier prospect in Sacramento, but there is still time. The team expects to hold more prospects workouts next week as they prepare for one of the more important drafts in team history.