NBA Draft rumors 2015: Kings and Vlade Divac exploring every option with 6th pick
Kings are “protective” of their pick, but they are also willing to make a trade if the offer is right.
In his first NBA Draft as vice president of the Sacramento Kings, Vlade Divac is mulling over the many options he has with the sixth pick. He made clear what he believes the Kings need: another playmaker and an upgrade at the power forward position, preferably with a long, athletic shot blocker and rim protector to complement DeMarcus Cousins, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
Whether the Kings are going to acquire those pieces through the draft or through a trade remains to be seen.
The top four picks are likely to be Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis and D’Angelo Russell in some order, leaving Mario Hezonja, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein and Emmanuel Mudiay available for picks five through eight. Cauley-Stein would fit the billing of a rim protector, but the other three players are playmakers who could turn into franchise players.
Mudiay isn't going to work out with the Kings, according to Sean Cunningham, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Kings won't draft him. As Voisin noted, Stephen Curry was reluctant to work out for the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 draft.
Divac and the Kings are also open to making a trade. “Ours is a relatively good position because we’ll get a good player,” he said. “We are receiving a ton of calls about trades, but I am very protective about the pick. I don’t want to give it up unless we can get several good pieces.”
It has already been an eventful offseason for the Kings, who lost general manager Pete D’Alessandro to the Nuggets. But Divac is ready to mix things up even more.
“I would love to do something, a smaller move, before the draft,” he said. “We have a lot of changes to make. The league is much more up-tempo now, and we need more three-point shooting. If we don’t get that in the draft, we’ll be active in free agency and see about making trades later in the offseason.
Pistons could trade up
Detroit picked up a stretch four to play alongside Andre Drummond when they traded for Ersan Ilyasova, which made working out Frank Kaminsky and Myles Turner seem a bit redundant. There is speculation that they could work out a deal to snag the New York Knicks' fourth pick, where they would draft either Winslow or Hezonja, according to Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
The Pistons are in need of a small forward, and Stanley Johnson will most likely be available in the eighth spot, but Winslow and Hezonja are highly coveted prospects the Pistons would love to add to the roster.
Scouts think Russell fits triangle offense in New York
The Knicks could do anything with the fourth pick in the draft. They might take Mudiay or even Cauley-Stein to anchor the defense. But Russell might be the best fit for Phil Jackson’s beloved triangle offense, according to multiple league scouts.
Russell agrees. “I can definitely thrive [in New York],” he told ESPN. Russell said he watched game film of Kobe Bryant in the offense, which made him believe he can make similar plays. Russell was projected to be a top-three pick, but the rise of Porzingis’ stock has many believing the 76ers will take the European big man.
Another good sign for the Knicks: rumor is that Russell doesn’t want to play for the 76ers even though he did work out for them last week.
Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic wants Hezonja
If Hezonja drops to the seventh pick, Nurkic wants Denver to draft his friend. “I think at his age he’s the best shooting guard,” Nurkic said via the Denver Post. The problem for Denver may be that Hezonja might not be available. His stock has risen of late, buoyed by his European scoring record on Saturday.
While some NBA scouts are worried about Hezonja’s cockiness, Nurkic said, “He’s a good guy. Like me, he just has confidence.”
Hezonja may not drop to the Nuggets, but if he does, Nurkic and Hezonja will believe they can get the Nuggets back to their winning ways.
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