Who are the Sacramento Kings selecting with the No. 13 pick in latest NBA mock drafts?

Jason Anderson
·3 min read
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The Kings are back in the NBA draft lottery after falling short in their quest to reach the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The Kings are currently projected to have the 13th overall pick in the June 26-27 draft after winning a tiebreaker with the Golden State Warriors. The order will be set when the draft lottery is held May 12.

The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards have the best odds of securing the No. 1 pick, each with a 14% chance. They are followed by the Charlotte Hornets (13.3%), Portland Trail Blazers (13.2%), San Antonio Spurs (10.5%), Toronto Raptors (9.0%), Memphis Grizzlies (7.5%) and Utah Jazz (6.0%).

The Kings have a 0.8% chance of securing the No. 1 pick. They have a 0.9% chance of landing in the top two, a 1.0% chance of landing in the top three and a 1.1% chance of landing in the top four.

Several analysts have released their first mock drafts. Here are some of the players the Kings could consider with their first-round pick. Players are listed by position, height, weight and age.

NBA Draft Room

Tidjane Salaun, Cholet Basket

PF | 6-10 | 205 | 18

NBA Draft Room describes Salaun as a long, athletic and talented combo forward with a 7-4 wingspan and impressive 3-point shooting for his size. The site compared him to Michael Porter Jr. while labeling him as a “boom or bust, home-run swing type of pick.” Salaun averaged 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 23.2 minutes per game in France’s LNB Pro A league.

Bleacher Report

Jared McCain, Duke

PG/SG | 6-3 | 197 | 20

Bleacher Report drew a comparison to Immanuel Quickley while noting McCain delivered two 30-point performances during the NCAA Tournament. The site describes McCain as “one of the draft’s most convincing shotmakers, and though his size and athletic limitations do raise questions, he’s shown plenty of ways to compensate with his crafty ball-handling and pace, shooting versatility, touch shots in the lane and finishing adjustments.” McCain averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 31.6 minutes per game while hitting 41.4% from 3-point range as a freshman at Duke.

NBADraft.net

Donovan Clingan, UConn

C | 7-2 | 280 | 20

NBADraft.net describes Clingan as a “colossal” human being “with plenty of length and reach as well as good body control and fluidity for someone with his size.” The site compares Clingan to Jakob Poeltl and Walker Kessler, noting that he “knows how massive he is and does a good job of using his size to his advantage on both ends of the court” and is “arguably the best interior defender in this draft class.” Clingan averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 22.5 minutes per game for the NCAA champion UConn Huskies.

UConn Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) holds the NCAA championship trophy while being greeted by fans before team’s victory parade April 13, 2024, in Hartford, Connecticut.
UConn Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) holds the NCAA championship trophy while being greeted by fans before team’s victory parade April 13, 2024, in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Ringer

Tidjane Salaun, Cholet Basket

F | 6-9 | 203 | 18

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor calls Salaun an “underdeveloped yet talented two-way forward worthy of an investment, especially if he slips this far on draft night.” Salaun has a 7-1 wingspan with shades of Chandler Parsons. According to O’Connor, Salaun is a “locked-in defender who is a nuisance off the ball,” but he “needs to become a more fundamental on-ball defender to reach his full potential.”