7 Prospects Kings should target with 13th overall pick in 2024 NBA Draft

The 2024 NBA Draft is almost here, and that means that it is time to talk about prospects. This year, the Sacramento Kings own two draft picks (the 13th and 45th overall).

And since second round picks rarely ever blossom into high level players (although it happens more often than you think), the main focus will be on their 13th overall pick.

Now, it isn't even a guarantee that the Kings will keep the pick, as various reporting indicates that they have been trying to shop it in search of a roster upgrade. But if they do, here are seven potential options for what to do with the pick.

(Sidebar #1: The order in which these players are mentioned is not meant to represent the order in which I think the Kings should value these players.)

Dalton Knecht

2023-24 Stats: 21.7 PPG/4.9 RPG/1.8 APG/0.7 SPG/0.6 BPG on 57.8% True Shooting (36 Games)

Dalton Knecht is one of the most proficient and versatile shooters in the 2024 NBA Draft Class. His impressive 39.7% 3-point shooting on 6.5 3-point attempts per game hardly paints the entire picture. Whether it be on spot-ups, coming off screens, racing in transition, or coming off of pick-and-roll, Knecht is capable of launching (and canning) triples in any situation from any part of the floor.

Along with his shooting, Knecht touts great length (6'9 wingspan) and a penchant for drawing fouls (5.7 free throw attempts per game). In theory, he is the perfect player to replace Kevin Huerter if the team decides to move on from the veteran two-guard this offseason. The question now becomes: will Knecht be available when it comes time for the Kings to make their pick?

Tristan da Silva

2023-24 Stats: 16.0 PPG/5.1 RPG/2.4 APG/1.1 SPG/0.6 BPG on 60.6% True Shooting (34 Games)

A common theme with a lot of these suggestions is that we are looking for players who offer size, shooting, and positional rim protection, and few players exemplify that blend the way that Tristan da Silva does.

At 6'8.25 with a 6'10.25 wingspan, da Silva sports the length necessary to slot in at forward in between Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. As for rim protection, he finished in the 62nd percentile in block rate in the Pac-12 last season (per KenPom). That may not seem like an impressive output, but given his physical tools, da Silva could post an even higher block rate if he's placed in a system that gives non-centers a lot of opportunities to contest shots at the rim (like the scheme the Kings deploy).

The best part about da Silva is that unlike most wings/forwards you see in the draft, he's already a knockdown shooter. Last season, da Silva shot 39.5% from three on 4.8 3-point attempts per game. That was after shooting 39.4% on 3.9 attempts per game the year before. The jumper is very, very real.

Here's a fun query from Bart Torvik. Of all 2023-24 Division I NCAA Players standing 80 inches (6'8) or taller who played at least 20 games and attempted at least 150 threes last season, only da Silva and Dubar Darlinstone averaged at least 39% from three and a steal rate of 2%. That's a rarified combination of size, shooting, and defensive playmaking.

Daron Holmes II

2023-24 Stats: 20.4 PPG/8.5 RPG/2.6 APG/0.9 SPG/2.1 BPG on 62.7% True Shooting (33 Games)

Speaking of size, shooting, and positional rim protection, enter Daron Holmes II. At the NBA Draft Combine, Holmes measured in at 6'8.75 with a 7'1 wingspan. He placed in the 92nd percentile in block rate in the Atlantic 10 last season (KenPom). And he shot 38.6% from three in that time, too.

There are two main question marks surrounding Holmes' fit on the Kings. First, he spent last season primarily playing center for the Dayton Flyers. Given his height, Holmes probably can't play center at the next level. So, that begs the question: is he mobile enough to play the four at the next level?

The other big concern with Holmes is his shooting. Yes, he shot a high mark from three, but he did it on low volume (2.5 3-point attempts per game). Remember, when it comes to spacing, volume is more important than efficiency. Plus, Holmes was a mediocre free throw shooter (39th percentile in the Atlantic 10), which is a great context-independent measure of a player's shooting ability.

For any team, Holmes' ability to slide over to the four and adequately space the floor will be important. But that is especially true if he plans on playing next to Sabonis – a defensively-limited center who can't really space the floor.

There has been some people out there who compare Holmes to Naz Reid, and if that turns out to be the case, that would be a huge win for Sacramento.

Ja'Kobe Walter

2023-24 Stats: 14.5 PPG/4.4 RPG/1.4 APG/1.1 SPG/0.2 BPG on 54.1% True Shooting (35 Games)

Unlike Knecht, da Silva, and Holmes (all of whom have played three or more years in college), selecting Ja'Kobe Walter would be more about his upside than his current production.

Walter only shot 34.1% on his 6.3 threes per game, but that mark vastly underrates his ability as a marksman. As the video montage in the tweet above indicates, Walter's shot diet during his freshman year at Baylor was a complex one that showcased his potential as a movement shooter. And where Holmes' free throw shooting percentage is a cause for concern, Walter's conversation rate (79.2% last year) functions as a beckon of hope.

Along with his outside shooting flashes, Walter boasts a 6'10 wingspan. This makes him a strong candidate to provide some plus rim protection at the two-guard spot. Like da Silva, his block rate wasn't great in college (34th percentile in the Big 12 last season). But given his condor-like arms (and the Kings' scheme), I could easily see a world where he's an above-average rim protector for his position.

Movement shooting and above-average rim protection at the shooting guard position is a recipe for an adequate replacement for Huerter (again, if the Kings choose to trade him this offseason).

Kel'el Ware

2023-24 Stats: 15.9 PPG/9.9 RPG/1.5 APG/0.6 SPG/1.9 BPG on 62.1% True Shooting (30 Games)

With Alex Len and JaVale McGee both set to become free agents, the Kings are going to be in the market for a backup center.

While the Kings could probably nab a backup center or two with veteran minimum contracts, they may seek to find one using the 13th overall pick. And if they choose to go down that path, they would be hard-pressed to find an option as good as Kel'el Ware available at 13.

When you are looking for a backup center, you generally want to select one that gives you a different pitch than your starting big man. As we've discussed before, Sabonis' two biggest weaknesses are rim protection and spacing.

At 6'11.75 with a 7'4.5 wingspan, Ware is a massive force in the paint. Last season, he placed in the 93rd percentile in block rate in the Big 10. He also converted on 42.5% of his threes. However, Ware only took 1.3 3-point attempts per game, and he only shot 63.4% from the free throw line. So, his utility as a spacer is questionable at best.

Still, given his upside as a potential Myles Turner type player, Ware could be worth taking a flyer on in the middle of the first round.

Johnny Furphy

2023-24 Stats: 9.0 PPG/4.9 RPG/1.0 APG/0.9 SPG/0.3 BPG on 60.9% True Shooting (33 Games)

If the Kings decide to pull the trigger on a trade for Brandon Ingram (or a player of that stature), they will likely part ways with Huerter and Harrison Barnes (and some draft capital). If one of the pieces not involved in that trade is the 13th overall pick, the Kings may look to replace the shooting they lost with Huerter and Barnes with Johnny Furphy.

Furphy had a slow start to his freshman year in Kansas (he only started in 19 of 33 games during his long season). However, he eventually found his footing and really made his imprint on the storied Jayhawks team.

Furphy projects as a strong shooter (shot 45.7% from three during the month of January) who also offers size (6'8 wingspan), closeout attacking, and a strong feel for the game.

Furphy is nearly four years younger than Knecht. So, he has more room to grow as an on-ball scorer and defender (defense is not a strength for either of these players right now). Meanwhile, while Walter is probably the better prospect between the two (because of his shooting versatility and length), there is a good chance he won't be available at 13, making it more likely that the Kings will need to snag someone like Furphy.

Furphy also has one of the best motors in the class (and he definitely has a higher one than Knecht and Walter). Having a guy whose engine runs that high coming off your bench can be a super dangerous weapon.

Jaylon Tyson

2023-24 Stats: 19.6 PPG/6.8 RPG/3.5 APG/1.2 SPG/0.5 BPG on 55.7% True Shooting (31 Games)

When I was at the NBA Draft Combine, I asked @MavsDraft who this year's Jaime Jaquez Jr would be (a super skilled, high IQ, overlooked rookie that will get overlooked by a bunch of teams and be ready to contribute immediately). He responded by saying that it could be the 21-year-old forward out of California, Jaylon Tyson.

Tyson, like Jaquez, plays a very measured game. He relies a ton on strength, feel, and strong footwork in order to flow into midrange jumpers. The main difference between the two is that Jaquez has the higher motor while Tyson is the better shooter (career 37.2% 3-point shooter compared to Jaquez's career 32.8% mark). Regardless of their differences, getting a player who can contribute to winning right away is almost always a value add at 13.

I will also note that drafting Tyson neither upgrades the power forward spot (their main area of need) nor replaces Huerter. If the Kings draft Tyson, it will mean that they decided not to make a trade and bank on internal development and the draft in order to make a leap forward. Or that they made a trade for a power forward, are relying on Keon Ellis to start at shooting guard, and are adding Tyson as another creator/scorer off the bench.