With the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings have an opportunity to solve at least significant problem with their roster.
In that effort, the Kings met with prospects at the Draft Combine, per Sean Cunningham of FOX40 News. The full list of interviewees was not unveiled. However, Perth center Alexandre Sarr, UConn center Donovan Clingan, Duke guard Jared McCain, Colorado wing Cody Williams, Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, and Baylor wing Ja’Kobe Walter were revealed to be among the players that Sacramento vetted.
Per league source, the Sacramento Kings met with 10 projected lottery picks during last week’s NBA Combine in Chicago.
Interviews included Donovan Clingan, Dalton Knecht, Sacramento native Jared McCain, Alex Sarr, Ja’Kobe Walter & Cody Williams.
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) May 21, 2024
The Kings are continuing their pre-draft workouts this week, according to Cunningham. Members of their front office will be attending Pro Day workouts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Kings Meet With 10 Projected Lottery Picks
Sacramento’s interest in drafting a center is in line with the consensus opinion on their roster needs.
Domantas Sabonis is among the best DHO operators in the league and a nightly triple-double threat. However, he offers little in the way of rim protection. In fact, the Kings ranked 28th in blocks per game in 2023-24 with 4.2. Furthermore, teams with a lot of size up front can pose problems for Sacramento. In 2023-24, opponents averaged 9.1 offensive rebounds per game against the Kings, the second-highest mark in the league. Their opponents pulled down 42.5 rebounds per game total, ranked ninth in the league.
With Clingan’s Leviathan size, he eats up enough space in the paint to be a natural at rebounding. Indeed, in 2023-24 he averaged 19.8 rebounds per 100 possessions. He also led the Big East in rebounding percentage (.190). That said, Sarr projects to be the better defender, both on the interior and along the perimeter. A fluid and agile 7-footer, he averaged 3.1 blocks per 36 minutes in 2023-24 while playing against pros. At the other end, he provides the Kings with better floor balance than Clingan thanks to his guard skills and shooting potential.
The team’s search for a starting two-guard trudges along as well. Underwhelmed by Kevin Huerter’s limitations at both ends, he’s arguably the weakest link in their starting lineup.
With Williams’s potential as a 3-and-D wing, he may just offer the simplest fix. Though he isn’t a go-to scorer, he can play off of De’Aaron Fox, having made 41.5 percent of his 3s in 2023-24. However, if the Kings want a wing with more scoring upside than either Williams, Harrison Barnes, or Keegan Murray, Knecht could be their guy. Indeed, Knecht averaged 21.7 points per game in 2023-24.
