Before you say anything, the Sacramento Kings have way too many guards. But they also have a long-term starting point guard problem they need to deal with. The solution might be to draft a young point guard to build around, such as Mikel Brown Jr., number five on FanSided's 2026 NBA Draft Big Board.
The 19-year-old is in his first season of college ball and was considered a five-star recruit. Indiana University Bloomington, the University of Alabama, and Ole Miss had also thrown their hats in the ring for Brown. He chose to be a Cardinal in the end, and Louisville is probably still ecstatic.
While a lot of college point guards have Brown's explosive speed, far fewer have his level of control and maneuverability. On top of that, Mikel is adept at dropping dimes on the move thanks to his strong court awareness and a basketball IQ far beyond his years. Plus, he's a bucket from deep.
Mikel does have some consistency problems and seems to have an issue finishing at the rim. His playmaking is top-notch, but calling his own number is where things get dicey. That should improve with time, development, and maturity, particularly once he gets to the NBA.
The Kings need a young point guard who fits their system
For now, the Kings have Russell Westbrook, but he will retire sometime in the not-so-distant future. And Dennis Schroder was a bust as a starter, and is likely to be traded. As such, Sacramento needs a real long-term plan when it comes to the point guard position.
What the Kings need is a young point guard who is fresh to the NBA, and they can help develop to fit their system. While they have young guards on the team already, none of them have the playmaking to be a starting point guard for Sacramento.
At six-feet four-inches and 172 pounds, Brown is small for the NBA, particularly in the current league where undersized point guards are falling out of style. That doesn't mean Mikel can't ball or run the offense properly. In fact, he could be the exact sparkplug the Kings need to get them going.
The NBA is a league of trends, and everyone wants a versatile big man like Nikola Jokic these days. That doesn't mean every team has to completely buy in. There will always be room for point guards like Mikel Brown Jr., who can move quickly, shoot like a sniper, and space the floor.