3 Big men the Kings should target with the 24th pick in the NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is approaching, meaning the Sacramento Kings are two weeks away from finding their newest rookies. After the success of Keegan Murray this season, the Kings should be looking for their next big prospect. Whether they repeat that success by drafting his twin brother or going in a different direction, the Kings front office seems to know what they are doing.

The Sacramento Kings have a primary looming concern this offseason: forward depth. With three of their four central forwards entering free agency, the Kings need to pick up some forwards in case Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles, and Terence Davis do not re-sign. They could address this in the draft, or they could address the need for big man depth with Alex Len entering free agency and Richaun Holmes on the trade block.

While the top two centers in the draft, Victor Wembanyana and Dereck Lively, should be selected before pick 24, the Kings can still find some valuable big men. The Kings need a guy that can either back up Domantas Sabonis or play alongside him.

Here are three big men prospects the Kings need to target with the 24th overall pick:

1. Gregory Jackson, South Carolina

The youngest 2023 NBA Draft prospect is 18-year-old Gregory “GG” Jackson. The former Class of 2023 number one ranked high school recruit re-classified and joined a struggling University of South Carolina basketball team. The freshman averaged 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. The 6’9″ forward was not very efficient, with 38/32/67 shooting splits. While the young prospect did not have a great college season, his potential is through the roof.

GG Jackson has a deep offensive bag for a 6’10” forward with a 7’0″ wingspan. The forward can do it all with the ball in his hands, especially handling the ball and shooting the mid-range. Jackson uses his athleticism, speed, and ball handling to get to his spots on the floor.

While Jackson has great offensive tools, his shot selection and inefficiency raise concerns. But, being the youngest player in the draft, he is not expected to be the best at decision-making. Jackson showed glimpses of being a talented defender as well, using his size and athleticism to block shots, but lacked the consistent ability to play good on-ball defense.

Jackson is a talented prospect with great offensive tools, and if the Kings are looking for a project 18-year-old prospect to score for them off the bench, then GG Jackson should be that guy. Jackson would develop incredibly in the Kings system, as the only thing truly missing in his game is discipline.