The Sacramento Kings are reportedly considering moving up in the 2017 NBA draft to select Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox. The Kings are internally discussing trading the No. 5 and No. 10 picks in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 3 pick, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford.
The Kings might trade up to draft De’Aaron Fox. That’s a bad idea
Sacramento is thinking about trading the No. 5 and No. 10 picks to the 76ers for No. 3. Is this a good trade for anyone?
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The third selection originally belonged to Sacramento, but it was sent to Philly in a pick swap as part of a 2015 trade to clear salary cap space. That trade never looked good for the Kings in the first place, and it’s even more disappointing now that it might cost the team a shot at drafting Fox.
Fox saw his draft stock rise dramatically after a dominant showing against Lonzo Ball and UCLA in the Sweet 16. Fox finished with 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field in a decisive Kentucky victory.
Should the Kings really trade two top-10 picks for Fox? Should the 76ers accept the deal? Let’s break down this rumor.
This is not a wise trade for the Kings to make
Ford wrote the Kings “think (Fox) is a nice complement to Buddy Hield and he would really ramp up the rebuilding of their culture.” I agree. De’Aaron Fox is awesome. But I still wouldn’t do this trade from the Kings’ perspective for a few different reasons.
- There’s a good chance Fox is available at No. 5 anyway
Markelle Fultz is going to be the first pick to the Boston Celtics. That’s just about the only thing we can safely assume about the top of the draft right now.
The Lakers hold the second pick. They are reportedly considering both Fox and Kansas wing Josh Jackson, but the UCLA’s Lonzo Ball remains the heavy front-runner. It’s hard to imagine Magic Johnson passing on a hometown kid that could help usher in “Showtime” once again at No. 2.
The Sixers are unlikely to take Fox at No. 3 because his lack of shooting ability doesn’t mesh well with Ben Simmons. The Suns sit at No. 4 and already have one of the better point guards in the game in Eric Bledsoe. We’ve been projecting Jackson at No. 3 to Philly and Duke’s Jayson Tatum at No. 4 to Phoenix in our mock drafts.
There is a very good chance Fox is still on the board at No. 5. It’s possible that Phoenix could grab him at No. 4, but that would mean they have to trade Bledsoe and still leaves a hole on the wing. The guess here is Fox is still around at No. 5.
2. The Kings need too much talent to trade two picks for one
For a team like the Kings that needs talent above all else, two cracks at landing a star in the lottery is far better than one, especially when there should be some serious talent at both 5 and 10. Lottery picks are among the most coveted assets in the league, and using them only to move up a couple spots doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense unless you’re going all the way to the 1st pick for someone you think is going to be a bonafide superstar (and in that case, it’s unlikely the team with the 1st pick would give it up, especially this year with the Celtics not needing any more youth).
The Kings have two first-round picks this year only because they decided to trade DeMarcus Cousins in February. Cousins was a bona-fide star and it’s going to be hard for any young player to replace that production.
However, if the Kings can hit on two top-10 picks to add to a young core that already includes Buddy Hield at shooting guard and Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere, and Georgios Papagiannis in the front court, perhaps Sacramento can rebuild the franchise quicker than anyone assumes.
3. Dennis Smith Jr. could be just as good as Fox
If Fox isn’t there at No. 5, NC State point guard Dennis Smith Jr. would still be a great option. Smith flew under the radar a bit playing for a Wolfpack team that missed the NCAA tournament and fired its coach in the middle of the season, but he’s a fantastic talent in his own right who could be just as good — or better — than Fox as an NBA player.
Smith isn’t as fast as Fox (no one is), but he is more explosive attacking the rim. Smith looked like the most athletic point guard in college basketball last season only a year removed from tearing his ACL just before his senior season of high school. It’s possible we haven’t even seen Smith’s peak athleticism yet ... and that’s a scary thought. Just ask Duke:
Smith is a better shooter than Fox. He averaged more assists, more rebounds, more steals, and more blocks than Fox. If you put Smith on a loaded Kentucky team and put Fox on a hopeless NC State team last season, it’s possible Smith is the player teams want to trade up for.
And if somehow the 76ers take Smith at No. 3 and the Suns take Fox at No. 4? Well, then the Kings have the opportunity to draft Josh Jackson. That would work out pretty well for them, too.
The 76ers should probably do this deal if it’s offered
The 76ers were always in a tough spot with the third selection. I wrote about this after the lottery: There is no perfect pick on the board for Philly at No. 3. I would want Jackson with that pick if I was a Sixers fan, but it’s obvious his shortcomings as a shooter are worrisome next to Simmons. Philly could also just take Malik Monk at No. 3 .... but that would be considered a reach.
If the 76ers really like Monk, this trade with the Kings is a no-brainer. Grab Monk at No. 5 and Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell at No. 10. Boom, now the backcourt is set for years with a knockdown shooter and a long, versatile defender who would each complement Simmons’ game well.
I would still be tempted to just take Jackson at No. 3, because I think he’s that good. But Monk and Mitchell might be too much to pass up on.
In the end, the Kings’ best move is praying Fox falls to No. 5. If he doesn’t, they will still have a great prospect on the board, likely either Smith or Jackson. If this trade is actually offered, the Sixers should do it.
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