The Kings are one of the teams that are seen as candidates to move their respective first-round picks in order to land immediate help, though Matt Moore of The Action Network hears that Sacramento hasn’t made a list of potential targets known.
We previously examined how Pascal Siakam would fit in Sacramento and why the Raptors would consider trading for the No. 4 overall pick. The Kings are looking to get back to the postseason for the first time since the 2006 season.
The Knicks are another team that could look to move its first-round pick, Moore adds in the same piece. New York owns the No. 11 overall selection and has been rumored to be interested in a variety of draft possibilities, including trading up into the top-5.
More Draft Buzz
- Johnny Davis sliding to the Cavaliers at No. 14 could be an attractive scenario for the Cavaliers, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writes in his latest mock draft. Cleveland has bigger needs at the three, though if the Cavaliers are picking the best player available, few are likely to be better candidates than the Wisconsin shooting guard.
- Trading Eric Gordon for a draft pick is a logical move for the Rockets, Givony opines in the same piece. Should the team move on from the veteran shooting guard, it could set them up to take Ohio State’s Malaki Branham with their second selection (No. 17 overall). Branham, who has been getting lottery buzz since the 2021-22 season ended, has been connected to the Cavaliers among other teams.
- The Nets worked out six prospects on Wednesday despite not having a pick in the upcoming draft. Scotty Pippen Jr., Davion Mintz, Marcus Bingham Jr, Justin Minaya, and Davion Warren all participated in drills with the team.
- Chatter about Shaedon Sharpe moving up into the top-5 appears to be fizzling out. According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, Sharpe’s positioning in the draft is going to depend on how he performs in individual workouts, as some of the excitement around the 19-year-old has turned into “trepidation.” Woo lists the No. 7 and No. 8 spots as places where Sharpe could hear his name called.
- Some around the league believe that the Thunder could attempt to get another top-10 pick, Woo adds in the same piece. OKC owns the No. 12 and No. 30 selections in addition to the No. 2 overall pick. Many mock drafts have Chet Holmgren heading to the Thunder with their first pick but Woo cautions that the franchise has historically made some surprising selections compared to industry expectations and the scribe pencils in Duke’s Paolo Banchero at No. 2 in his latest mock draft. For what it’s worth, Oklahoma City’s selection of Josh Giddey last year was counter to what was expected.
