The Sacramento Kings have had some recent draft success with Keegan Murray in 2022, Davion Mitchell in 2021, and Tyrese Haliburton in 2020. This has been a good change after some unlucky drafts for Sacramento in the past decade or so. Looking toward the 2023 NBA Draft in less than a week, the Kings can hope for the same luck and try to strike gold with the 24th overall pick and two second-rounders.
Everyone always remembers the draft steals and good picks, but what happens when the Kings completely fail? We can look back at All-Rookie First Team members Keegan Murray and Tyrese Haliburton or even 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, but instead, we will look back at the times the Sacramento Kings came out of the draft as losers, at least in hindsight.
Spoiler alert: The Kings struggled in the draft from 2012 to 2014.
Here are the three biggest Sacramento Kings draft fails of the last 15 years:
Honorable Mention: 2018 – Marvin Bagley III, Pick 2
The 2018 NBA Draft is one of the best in recent memory, and the Sacramento Kings got the short end of the stick. The 2nd overall pick was the highest the Kings selected since 1989 when they had the 1st overall pick. Marvin Bagley III was a top prospect coming out of Duke University and could have gone 1st overall ahead of Deandre Ayton, so this was still a good selection.
The biggest problem with this pick is the players drafted after him. The next three picks, in order, were Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Trae Young. Doncic, who is on a career path toward the Hall of Fame, Jackson Jr., who is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and Trae Young, who is a two-time All-Star and 2022 All-NBA selection. Two more notable guards from this draft class are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, drafted 11th overall, and Jalen Brunson, drafted 33rd overall.
Marvin Bagley III achieved All-Rookie First Team honors in the 2018-19 season, but his career has not panned out since then. Due to injuries, Bagley played just 13 games the following season and has still not played over 50 games in a season since his rookie year.
Bagley was a great prospect and is still a good player with potential, but he got unlucky with injuries. He has averaged 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in his career and is looking to revive his game on the Detroit Pistons.