The 2023 NBA Draft is officially wrapped up, as we got a glimpse of the future of the league. Some of our initial reactions: The Houston Rockets won the draft with Amen Thompson at the 4th pick and Cam Whitmore somehow falling to them at pick 20. The young trio of Amen, Jalen Green, and Whitmore will be electric and fun to watch. The Orlando Magic had a questionable draft, selecting Anthony Black with the 6th pick and reaching on the 11th pick with Jett Howard.
While some teams drafted the future of their franchise Thursday night, most front offices were drafting role players to improve their teams. The Sacramento Kings held the 24th pick in the draft, expected to select a role player to improve their already solid roster.
Decision 1: Trading away the 24th pick and Richaun Holmes
After a month of analysis on who the Kings would select with the 24th pick, they traded it away. The surprising trade sent Richaun Holmes and the 24th pick to the Dallas Mavericks, as the Sacramento Kings got no player or draft pick in return but freed up cap space.
While the Sacramento Kings will miss having a big man full of energy like Richaun Holmes, the franchise did not value him enough last season, as we saw a significant minute decrease. He joined the Kings in 2019 and had a career-best year in 2020-21. That year, he averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 29.2 minutes per game. Last season, he was playing just 8.3 minutes per game.
After falling out of the rotation, especially when it came to the playoffs, Kings fans expected Holmes to be traded at some point this offseason.
Trading away the 24th pick was not a big deal, as none of their desired prospects were available. If the Kings felt nobody on the board was worth keeping the pick for, then we trust Monte McNair with this trade.
The Sacramento Kings saved a lot of money with this trade and now have over $30 million in cap space (around $38 million). This is a great cushion, as the Kings might be getting ready to make a move in free agency. We love the move as a money-saver, as the Kings should be looking for an immediate impact player in free agency rather than a late first-round rookie.
Decision Grade: A-
Decision 2: Trading up to draft Colby Jones
Approximately 50 minutes after the first Sacramento Kings trade was announced, there was another Woj bomb, as we found out the Kings were trading up to the 34th overall pick to draft Colby Jones. This was more of an immediate impact trade than the first one, as we knew exactly what we were getting in return.
In exchange for the 34th overall pick, the Kings sent the Boston Celtics pick 38 and a future second-rounder. The Celtics used the 38th pick to draft Arkansas’ Jordan Walsh, who was also on our draft board for the Kings.
While we were high on Jordan Walsh, we are even higher on Colby Jones. He was 8th on our board of prospects the Kings should target with the 24th pick, so drafting him at pick 34 is a steal.
The 6’6″ versatile guard out of Xavier University can play the 1-3 and is a do-it-all player. While Kings fans might think that Sacramento does not need any more guards, Jones is much more than a third-string shooting guard.
After spending his first two college seasons trying to make his mark, he had a breakout junior year. Jones averaged 15.0 points, 4.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game with 51/38/65 shooting splits. The only question mark, stat-wise, is his free throw percentage, as he must increase from 65%.
Colby Jones can do it all on offense. He can handle the ball, has fantastic vision, can shoot from deep, has a nice shot from mid-range, and can get to the basket with an impressive finishing touch. His versatility, with his size, allows him to play the 1-3 and can be effective from anywhere on the court, with and without the ball in his hands.
Along with his deep offensive game, Colby Jones is a versatile defender. While being able to play the 1-3, Jones can also guard these positions. He is a hustle player with lockdown capabilities while being active off-ball as well.
Decision Grade: A
Decision 3: Drafting Jalen Slawson with the 54th pick
While most people stopped watching the NBA Draft at this point, the Sacramento Kings drafted Jalen Slawson, a 6’7″ standout out of Furman University. The 5th-year senior won the 2023 SoCon Player of the Year while on his way to an outstanding March Madness first-round upset over Virginia.
Last season, Slawson averaged 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game as he stuffed the stat sheet. He had 55/39/77 shooting splits to add to his impressive stats. His 39% from three stands out, as while he has shot a low volume from deep, he has shown he can knock them down from beyond the arc.
Slawson is an impressive defender, as he had good enough size to guard the 3-5, but struggles to guard the perimeter. He is a high IQ defender, both on and off the ball, which led to his impressive 3.0 stocks per game.
Jalen Slawson is an all-around player with no real weakness in his game. The 23-year-old forward has the experience to have an impact in the NBA, but with all late second-round picks, we question if they will make the team’s roster.
Slawson is a stretch four or even has the tools to be a point forward at times, as he has impressive playmaking abilities. His playmaking, defensive impact, and finishing ability make him an impressive prospect, but he does not have a high upside.
While it is tough for teams to find eye-popping prospects in the late second round, Jalen Slawson does not stand out. He will likely cycle through the G League, but we look forward to seeing what he can do in the Summer League.
Decision Grade: B-
3 Biggest Sacramento Kings draft fails of the last 15 years
With the Sacramento Kings recent draft success, we take a look at some years they were not as fortunate and selected players that did not pan out