The Kings have remained at the center of trade rumors leading up to Thursday’s 2022 NBA Draft, but recent reports indicate one transaction that could take place doesn’t involve their highly-coveted No. 4 pick.
Sacramento’s asking price for their lottery pick reportedly is steep as the team becomes increasingly comfortable with drafting a player fourth overall, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday, citing sources.
Kings general manager Monte McNair has engaged in conversations revolving around a myriad of trade-available, productive players, including Hawks forward John Collins, but the No.4 pick hasn’t been involved in any of those discussions with Atlanta, per Charania’s report.
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Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer on Tuesday also reported, citing sources, that the Hawks’ conversations with Sacramento about Collins haven’t included the No. 4 pick, and that Harrison Barnes is considered available for trade.
Should the Kings opt to trade their selection and move down in the draft, Sacramento appears to have a long list of suitors.
Some of those conversations noted earlier have included talks with almost every team picking after Sacramento in both the lottery and beyond, including the Indiana Pacers (No. 6), Washington Wizards (No. 10), New York Knicks (No. 11), Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 12), Atlanta (No. 16) and others, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported in the outlet’s latest mock draft.
So what could that steep asking price consist of?
NBA
Givony writes that rival teams believe the asking price will include a mix of established vets (Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon, Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma, Detroit Pistons’ Jerami Grant, Collins), a 2022 draft choice and rookie-scale contract players like Indiana’s Chris Duarte.
But the Kings are widely expected to stay put, Givony adds, and if so, it’s likely they’ll take their pick of Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, Iowa forward Keegan Murray or Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin.
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Sacramento reportedly is extremely interested in Murray, and Ivey's upside is clear even though the Kings have depth at the guard position already and he has displayed apparent displeasure at the thought of being drafted by the team.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding what the Kings will do at No. 4, one thing is clear: All eyes will be on Sacramento come Thursday, and its decision could have a rippling impact across the NBA.