Sacramento Kings 2025 NBA Draft Preview

Sacramento Kings 2025 NBA Draft Preview

the NBA draft is right around the corner and in the weeks leading up to this draft I have not exactly been excited about it from a Sacramento Kings perspective because the Kings do not have their first round pick but in in the last week or so we have been hearing rumors that the Kings are looking to move into the first round possibly into the early 20s and that news has made me very excited because right now what do the Kings need well as Kings fans really we need something to be excited about and that usually comes with young players with potential and so the Kings have the 42nd overall pick of this draft but are looking to move into the first round hopefully they are able to do that but when we’re looking at who the Kings should draft and possible prospects that the Kings could be looking at it is very difficult because we don’t know where the Kings are going to be drafting we don’t know if they will trade into the first round we also don’t know what direction Scott Perry wants to take this team we don’t know who’s going to be on the roster at the start of this season this off season is going to tell us a lot about the direction of this team but that’s probably not going to happen before the draft i guess it could but it probably won’t happen before the draft and so it is hard to pick out certain needs for the Kings because I don’t think there’s any player on this team and I don’t think this team is good enough for the Kings to be just drafting for fit they should just draft whoever the best player is and the interesting thing about the drafting best available versus drafting for fit is that those two things are not completely separate as a team what you have to do in the draft is pick the player that you think you will develop into the best player and so right now when you look at the young players on the Kings you have two guys like Devin Carter and Keon Ellis both who are two guards who are best on the defensive end kind of 3 and D two guards and so if the Kings were to draft another 63 defensive two guard that may not be the best pick if you aren’t going to give them minutes behind a Devin Carter or a Kean Ellis or the other guards on this team but if you think that player is the best available then it is fine to draft that type of player but you just need to make sure that you have a pathway for that player to be able to realize the potential that they have there’s no player on this Kings roster that is good enough to make you not draft a certain position but Scott Perry and the front office just have to make sure that whoever they draft they have a path towards that player getting minutes to be able to realize their potential and so when you look at the current young players on the Kings like I said Devin Carter defensive two guard Keon Ellis a defensive two guard you have Keegan Murray a two-way wing and then you have like Isaac Jones who’s like a four five athlete and Isaiah Crawford who’s a three and D wing and so again none of those players are good enough to stop you from drafting at those same positions but when you’re looking at the needs that the Kings have the positions that make the most sense are a point guard a primary ball handler an athletic big because the Kings have Sabonis and they have Yonas Valenunis really they need an athletic big that can maybe play alongside Sabonis or back him up and add that much needed defense and athleticism to the front court of this team and then you can also draft a two-way wing because you can never have enough of those and the Kings definitely do not have enough of those and so I’ve picked five players from this upcoming draft at each of those positions point guard wing big that the Kings could be looking at there are of course many more options than the ones that I am going to talk about i also factored in whether the Kings had worked out certain players when choosing the five players at each position to talk about i also tried to pick players that will be available when the Kings are drafting but we don’t know when the Kings are going to be drafting so that was very hard so some of these guys will likely be off the board when the Kings are drafting both if they trade into the first round and with their second round pick but starting off with the point guards the first point guard is Nolan Trayor he is from France a 65 guard that not too long ago was hyped up as one of the best prospects in this entire draft class and then he kind of just went tumbling down draft boards as the season went along i feel like he’s getting kind of the the Killian Hayes treatment and that Killian Hayes was just so bad in the NBA as a French guard and there were other French guards as well that have kind of failed and so because of that people are a little hesitant on Nolan Trayor because he’s not a great scorer he’s not a great shooter there are some concerns about the defensive end but the reason that I do like Nolan Trayor is because two things he does really well one he’s really fast that fits a Kings team that should be wanting to play very fast and two he just knows how to run in offense his biggest skill is his playmaking ability he’s a solid pick and roll point guard everything else is a bit of a work in progress but he has size at the point guard position which I love he’s only 19 years old as the the season went along for him he improved his shooting improved his scoring it is a little bit interesting that he’s an extremely fast player but he’s not an above the rim type of athletic player but I think he’s definitely a type of guy that if he is on the board falls down into the the 20s or high teens and the Kings trade into a pick that high then I think he’s definitely someone that the Kings should consider the next point guard that I have is Jace Richardson the Kings attended his workout recently he’s the son of Jason Richardson went to Michigan State he’s 6’2 so not the biggest but has a big wingspan so plays bigger than he is he shot the ball super efficiently last season at Michigan State 41% from three on around three attempts per game average 12 points per game is not a true point guard coming out much more of a combo guard but he has ball handling skills could develop into a point guard because he does have good feel for the game he can play in the pick and roll he can get to the rim finish there he’s the type of player where he’s not exactly someone that the Kings are drafting to put him into this current roster because with this the current roster the way it’s constructed behind a Malik Monk and a Zack Lavine a Keon Ellison a Devin Carter like he doesn’t really make much sense but again I expect big changes to this roster and so I don’t think that that’s something that we should worry about too much because Jace Richardson is a player that can light it up scoring wise and he’s just one of those players that’s got that dog in him then we move on to a guy that’s definitely more of a 3 and D guy than a point guard and that is Tyrese Proctor he’s like 65 66 a little bit older at 21 years old so this is the type of guy that that Monty McNair would have picked if he was still the GM I feel like just because he is older he’s got a solid wingspan he’s probably not a guy that’s going to be the primary ball handler and the primary playmaker at Duke the primary creation was left to other guys but he is a very good movement shooter can move off the ball very well is good as a secondary playmaker and I just think he has all the traits to develop into a very good prototypical 3 and D guy good length and defensive skills good shooter can make good reads off the catch if the shot isn’t there so he’s another guy who maybe doesn’t fit with a Keon El and a Devin Carter there but if you’re not considering that he is a very skilled guy that I think will be a good NBA player and he was also a guy that had a workout with the Kings and you know having a workout doesn’t mean too much you see all the time guys not work out with certain teams and still get picked by them but it is just that little extra little bit of information that we know the kings are are interested in looking at him and the same can be said for the next guy Ryan Nemhard am I just adding him because of what his brother is doing in Indiana maybe but if Ryan Nemhard can become even close to what Andrew Nehard is then he could be a very good value guy in the second round he is on the smaller side 6 foot 22 years old but at Gonzaga was a great floor general a great playmaker has defensive limitations because of his size also his shot isn’t great but it is it has been improving and if he is anything like his brother he’ll just shoot 50% from three in the postseason so all you have to do is get there and then he’ll start knocking down the three-point shots and so with the Kings just in need of a true point guard who is going to be a floor general he could be an interesting guy in the second round and then the last guard that I wanted to talk about is Elijah Martin that’s another guy that the Kings have worked out 62 guard out of Florida 23 years old so another one on the older side another guy who is a secondrounder and he is an energy guy defensive intensity energy athleticism plays bigger than he is rebounds the ball is a super physical player but he’s an inconsistent shooter he’s not a great playmaker and so you kind of have the the two opposites in Ryan Nhard and and Elijah Martin one is the limited defensively smaller floor general and then the other one is the athletic energetic effort rebounding physicality not floor general point guard but you can never have too much athleticism on a team that was it for the guards now we move on to the wings and the wings is where I’m more interested in to be honest I’m a little bit underwhelmed by the the guards that could possibly be available for the Kings maybe that’s just because the Kings have drafted so many guards in recent history and to be fair they’ve they’ve been pretty good at drafting guards but with the Kings need for athleticism on the wing this is really where most of my interest is and so the first wing we have is Nick Clifford out of Colorado State he is on the older side 23 years old 66 and he is a guy who the Kings have worked out which is interesting because he is kind of projected out of the Kings draft range but Clifford is kind of the the plug-andplay wing that’s kind of solid at everything but doesn’t have one trait that really stands out he is a very good rebounder a long team defender has a little bit of onthe- ball playmaking is a solid catch andoot shooter so I would say more of a high floor guy who’s just solid all around but maybe doesn’t have that ceiling of some of the other raw potential wings out there but I feel like we’ve seen plenty of examples of guys like Nick Clifford who are older and just well-rounded players that have a lot of success in the NBA over the kind of more raw potential guys of course you’re probably not getting an all-star type of player out of him but you’re probably getting a solid rotational piece the next guy we have is Colin Murray Boils out of South Carolina he’s a guy who I don’t think will be in the Kings draft range but just in case he is I love this dude he’s 6’8 has a 7 foot wingspan 20 years old and is just a monster on the defensive end and does it without insane athleticism he does it with his length and he also does it with his strength and also his brain the comparison that I’ve seen for him is Draymond Green and that’s obviously an interesting comparison because there’s just there’s no one like Draymond Green draymond being a smaller player who’s just able to guard one through five because of how well he moves even though he’s not some insane athlete but he moves well and has that timing around the rim and the quick hands and so if there’s anybody that resembles that even a little bit it is Colin Murray Boils because he can handle the ball a little bit and has some passing ability but he isn’t a shooter he played in the post a lot offensively but has short roll passing ability can bully his way to the rim and then is just a machine on the defensive end with his super quick hands and his timing so I think if the Kings were able to move up to draft him I would be very excited then we move on to Adu Theierro out of Arkansas another 67 68 wing with a 7 foot wingspan 21 years old super strong physical and fast athlete he’s a guy who lives at the rim offensively is a transition beast when he gets going downhill in a straight line in transition he’s very hard to stop great offensive rebounder on the defensive end a stocks beast stocks and deflections he’s definitely still developing that outside shot but if it could get there like with many guys if it can get there then that would make him insanely valuable and he also has some passing skills as well and I don’t think I mentioned the Kings worked him out the Kings also worked out this next guy RJ Luis Jr out of St john’s 68 22 years old he’s a guy who can space the floor on catch and shoot shots isn’t a good scorer or playmaker but he can sit out on the perimeter and and is a little inconsistent but he can knock them down is a very good transition finisher definitely more of a play finisher than an on ball guy defensively super long physical and active defender which is what I’m looking for that’s what the Kings need same can be said for this next guy Dink Paint out of Mexico City the Capitan is in the G-League 67 19 years old i believe he was the youngest player in the G- League last season and when he when he came in to work out for the Kings he did his interview and he was a very fun interview to listen to and he described himself as a big guard and you can definitely see he has the ability to handle the ball but is very much a a young project great athleticism and he has potential as a shooter but definitely not there yet but he has potential as a shooter not a playmaker or a shot creator but is very good when he gets going downhill at the rim because of his athleticism has that great transition scoring ability one worry for him is his awareness defensively but again he’s very young so hopefully that’s something that could come in time he has all the physical tools he just needs to put it together and I think he could be a a solid second round guy because what I’m looking for in a wing for the Kings is someone who’s going to be able to play in transition probably play above the rim and just add that athleticism and length to the Kings defense but now we move on to the big men and it’s interesting that none of the big men that I have have had workouts with the Kings so you know a lot of the guards a lot of the wings the Kings did work out but not the big men and the big men are interesting because I mean right now the center position for the Kings is Sabonis and Valenunis two guys who are not athletic they’re just bruisers down in the paint and so you have Isaac Jones who can play the four five who is an athletic player at 69 but I would like the Kings to get another athlete at the five position someone who can play above the rim someone who has length and a vertical ability to be able to block shots and so if the Kings want an athlete who can block shots and catch lobs Joan Behinger out of France is that guy 611 18-year-old who is just a rim runner sit in the dunker spot type of guy on the offensive end he’s not going to do anything else he’s not going to take a single jump shot he’s going to live at the rim needs to fill out his frame a bit because he is very young but he can handle the ball offensively but definitely very much a project and I think he would be the perfect type of guy to get rid of the Monty McNair era of drafting no more 23-year-old 63 put together guards nah Scott Perry taking us somewhere else taking us to Raw Project Athletes and I think that would be a very fun route to take obviously a route that has plenty of risk to go with it but it would be fun the next guy is Rashir Flemings out of St joseph’s 69 21-year-old with a massive wingspan but despite having that massive wingspan he can space the floor shot 39% from three is not a shot creator is not a ball handler but can catch and shoot from the outside is more of a four than a five but I think he you know could play the five and if that three ball translates as a guy that could play next to a guy like Demanis Sabonis because he can be kind of that 3 and D spacer type of player with positional versatility defensive length hustle guy the next center is Ryan Kulk Brener out of Kraton 23 years old massive sevenfooter with a massive wingspan elite shot blocking extremely slow not a guy that’s going to be out on the perimeter he’s going to you know play in the drop play around the rim and so while there’s questions about that in the modern NBA I don’t think that that’s a position that’s completely gone away in the modern NBA there’s still a place for elite shot blockers that just sit around the rim of course you want him to be able to move his feet a little bit and especially on the offensive end he needs to be able to catch balls and just finish over guys to exploit smaller defenses he can do that he can catch lobs so it’d be interesting to see if if he could translate to the NBA but I think there’s a shot then we have Ace Newell out of Georgia 66 69 610 611 wingspan 19 years old he is an elite offensive rebounder and dunker putbacks for days you know I have him in the big category but I’m he defends on the perimeter like a wing and so I I don’t really know what his position is but maybe that doesn’t matter in today’s NBA i think there is a little bit of a worry with him on the offensive end where he he likes to play on the perimeter a little too much you know he he crashes for offensive rebounds but as a screener and as an offball cutter like needs to get to the rim a little bit more rather than playing on the perimeter he shot 29% from three on almost three attempts per game so he’s he’s not an effective shooter and and maybe he could get there but he has good touch inside so I think he would need to live inside a little bit more than he did in college but another one of those elite athlete guys and then the last big man that I have is Hansen another just behemoth 72 20 years old out of China this is a guy who I have actually seen in person probably the only guy that I’ve seen in person in in this year’s draft because he came uh and with the Chinese national team played at the California Classic last year so he’s a guy who loves to live in the post and out of the post he just likes to bully his way to the rim and then either score or pass out of it he is a good passer out of the post and that’s where I’ve seen some comparisons to a guy like Alper and Shenun but he has a lot of a long ways to go to be like Shenun i think what I noticed from him when I was watching him in person is that when he’s not able to get to the rim and bully his guy in the post right away it just really drags out the possessions he just kind of sits there and and doesn’t know what to do it stagnate stagnates the possession for the team and so if he’s not able to go right through a guy there’s a question of how he’ll make an impact offensively so he has to catch up to the pace of the NBA and defensively there are definitely worries about him moving in space but he does move better than a guy like Ryan Kulk Brener and so I’d be looking at him as more of a second round pick if he falls there so that is it for the 15 guys that I had there are plenty uh of other solid names but I couldn’t go through them all so let me know who you guys want the Kings to draft who you guys are interested in some of the guys that maybe I didn’t mention but yeah I’m very excited for this upcoming draft because I I think it could be a busy one for the Kings on the trade market hopefully we don’t get let down in that but there’s plenty of smoke around the Kings that they’re going to be making some sort of move and hopefully it is to move up in this draft so anyways that is it for this episode of the Roll Report i will see you guys in the next one peace

Welcome to The Royal Report

In this episode of The Royal Report I discuss the possibility of the Kings moving into the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft and the possible prospects that the Kings should keep their eyes on in both the first and second rounds.

0:00 Intro
4:24 Nolan Traore
6:00 Jase Richardson
7:12 Tyrese Proctor
8:40 Ryan Nembhard
9:32 Alijah Martin
10:55 Nique Clifford
11:59 Collin Murray-Boyles
13:13 Adou Thiero
13:58 RJ Luis Jr.
14:30 Dink Pate
15:43 Joan Beringer
17:25 Rasheer Fleming
18:02 Ryan Kalkbrenner
18:50 Asa Newell
19:47 Hansen Yang
21:16 Outro

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