The 2023 NBA Draft is this Thursday, as talks about prospects are heating up. The Sacramento Kings are wrapping up their pre-draft workouts and interviews as they get an idea of who they need to target come draft night. Now that we are getting a clearer picture of where prospects will land, we are also getting a clearer picture of who might be available for the Kings.
There are tiers of every prospect we could do in-depth on, starting with Victor Wembanyama in his own tier at the top, but we can be more realistic for Sacramento’s sake. The Kings hold the 24th, 38th, and 54th overall picks in the draft, but the most drama comes with their first-rounder.
Here we compile our top 15 prospects for the Kings, separated into four tiers from players the Kings could trade up for to players the Kings could take but probably shouldn’t.
Here is a look at A Royal Pain’s official Sacramento Kings 2023 NBA Draft prospect ranking:
Tier 1: Trade-up potentials
The Sacramento Kings lack realistic trade assets that would be enough to move up in the draft, but we can’t count out a potential move, even if it is minor. A couple of players could be trade-up targets for the Kings if they fall far enough.
1. Bilal Coulibaly, France: Coulibaly is a 6’7″ small forward with a wide draft range. Due to recently finishing up his French league season, Coulibaly could not participate in any pre-draft workouts. This could lead to the potential top-10 pick falling out of the lottery and would be worth trading up to steal around pick 16. The talented French wing is 18 years old and a lockdown defender with the offensive tools to develop into an elite two-way presence.
2. Gradey Dick, Kansas: While Gradey Dick is more of an unrealistic target, as almost every mock draft projects him to go top 12, there is always a chance Dick falls enough for the Kings to make a move. Gradey Dick is the best shooter in the draft with a 6’6″ frame and playmaking ability that makes him more than just a sharpshooter.