Given how historically bad the season has gone for the Sacramento Kings, one would assume they'll get a great draft pick. Nope. While the percentages are in their favor, history isn't. And if they don't get a top five lottery pick, they should trade what they do get for a haul of lower picks.
The Kings are currently so deep in the basement that they might as well move back in with their moms. Picking up enough wins to pull them out of last place seems incredibly unlikely. It's possible that they're intentionally tanking for a better lottery pick, but it's equally possible they're just that bad.
With the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery coming up on May 10th, the bottom 14 teams in the league are all hoping for one of the coveted top picks. The three worst NBA teams each have a 14% chance of getting the number one spot, which could be a game-changer for any of them.
But 14% is not a guarantee. Sacramento being in dead last doesn't mean they'll even get a top five pick, let alone the first pick. Fans saw that last year with the Dallas Mavericks, who only had a 1.8% chance of getting that number one pick. They used it to get the draft's top player, Cooper Flagg.
Sacramento needs either a top pick or a bold move
As it stands right now, the Kings' top prospects are Cameron Boozer or AJ Dybantsa. The most recent mock draft from FanSided projects Sacramento getting the second pick and using it to get Darryn Peterson. Given his constant injury issues, that is a dangerous choice at best.
When the lottery goes down, the Kings should strongly consider cashing in. As an example, if they get a sixth place pick, they could easily move that for a couple of picks lower in the first round. Another possibility is a lower first round pick with at least one or two second round picks.
The 2026 Draft Class is looking legendary at its absolute worst, and it runs deep. Second round picks will be as valuable as first rounders. If the Kings can't get their top choice, they should use what they do get to collect as many rookies as possible and get that development cycle flying.
In 2025, the Kings did incredibly well with a late first round pick that got them Nique Clifford and a second round pick that landed breakout star Maxime Raynaud. Sacramento doesn't have to draft in the top three to five picks to do something great this year. Future building can start down draft.