A Royal Pain
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Three players the Sacramento Kings can target if they trade up in the draft

By Anthony Cardenas

COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 22: Nassir Little #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks over Iona Gaels players in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 22: Nassir Little #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks over Iona Gaels players in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /
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FAYETTEVILLE, AR – MARCH 9: Daniel Gafford #10 of the Arkansas Razorbacks goes up for a lay up past Galin Smith #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena on March 9, 2019 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Crimson Tide 82-70. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – MARCH 9: Daniel Gafford #10 of the Arkansas Razorbacks goes up for a lay up past Galin Smith #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena on March 9, 2019 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Crimson Tide 82-70. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

With Willie Cauley-Stein’s future up in the air, the Sacramento Kings could target a big man if they move into the top-25.

Trade #2:
Kings get: 23rd overall pick
Jazz get: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Player:
Daniel Gafford
6’11” 234 lbs
Sophomore, Arkansas

Bogdan Bogdanovic is a fan favorite in Sacramento, so trading him would be a tough pill to swallow. But he’s a fringe core guy, and his age doesn’t exactly fit the Kings timeline. He is the only tradable piece that can return any kind of value, and the Kings probably wouldn’t hesitate if the right offer came along.

Given the Kings’ need for a big man due to the possible departure of Willie Cauley-Stein, they could try and fill a need with pick #23. One player that could be available is 6’11” PF/C Daniel Gafford out of Arkansas.

Gafford surprised some by returning to Arkansas for his sophomore season, but the decision ended up being a wise one. The freakishly athletic big man led his team in scoring with just shy of 17 points per game, which was good enough for 4th in the SEC. Gafford also owned the highest field goal percentage in the conference at 66%, grabbed the second-most rebounds per game, and blocked the third-most shots.

It is Gafford’s size and athleticism that make him a mid-first round talent. He has a 7’2” wingspan on his 6’11” 237-pound frame, roughly the same size as a current Willie Cauley-Stein. Like WCS, he has excellent mobility in his big body and runs the floor well. Unlike WCS, Gafford shows a willingness to fight for rebounds and is seen as a potential elite rim protector.

Daniel Gafford is a gifted shot blocker, while his defense is merely described as “adequate”. With the right teaching and tutelage, his defensive awareness and ability can be improved, but the athleticism is already there. At his best, he can draw Marcus Camby comparisons.

While Gafford excels in the paint, there are drawbacks to his game when he leaves the interior. He is not yet a good shooter anywhere on the perimeter and his free throw percentage is especially bad. He lacks great vision and passing ability, averaging 0.7 assists per game in his career at Arkansas. There are questions about whether his game will translate to the NBA given his lack of shooting and therefore lack of ability to stretch the floor.

Despite his shortcomings, Daniel Gafford should be worth Sacramento trading up for. He could begin as an energy guy off of a bench that needs one, and could be a solid extra option for coach Luke Walton to add to the young nucleus of Bagley and Harry Giles.

Gafford can be the rim protector that the Kings hoped Cauley-Stein would be, while also having the ability to run the floor with De’Aaron Fox and the Kings up-tempo offense. Visions of Gafford as a rim runner and alley-oop specialist are enough to entice the Kings into exploring the possibility of drafting him.

Would drafting Daniel Gafford be worth the risk of trading an established fan-favorite like Bogdan Bogdanovic?

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