NBA Mock Draft: Who Kings Should Pick at Nos. 13, 45 originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
After Sunday’s NBA draft draw, the Kings are now locked in at the 13th and 45th overall selections. With Sacramento coming off a season in which it regressed and missed the playoffs, general manager Monte McNair getting his selections right in the 2024 draft will be crucial to righting the situation both now and in the long term.
Will Malik Monk leave as a free agent and create a more pressing immediate need with his departure? Is there a young player who can join Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis to provide a youthful spark behind the one-two punch of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis?
Here’s how experts project the Kings will use their first- and second-round selections in the upcoming draft.
#13 overall: G/F Tidjane Salaun – France
A somewhat raw prospect, Salaun is averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in 51 appearances for Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A – the top tier of men’s professional basketball in France. Salaun is just 18 years old, but offers dynamic upside for Sacramento to pair with Keegan Murray at wing as the Kings build a long-term path to sustaining their recent success.
“Salaun is far from a finished product, but he has improved tremendously over the season in many areas, including shot selection and quick decision-making once the ball is in his hands,” Peek wrote.
#45 overall: G/F Harrison Ingram – North Carolina
Ingram spent his first two seasons at Stanford before transferring to North Carolina, averaging 11.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and one steal in 102 career college games. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Ingram offers an intriguing wing option that would give Sacramento much-needed length on the perimeter.
While no second-round pick is a sure thing, Ingram’s extensive college experience suggests he could enter the NBA with a strong foundation, even if the long-term upside remains a mystery.
13th place overall: Ja’Kobe Walter SG/SF – Baylor
With Monk’s impending unrestricted free agency approaching, Sacramento may be in desperate need of replacing the key minutes it has relied on its sixth man over the past two seasons. Walker averaged 14.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for Baylor during the 2023-24 season and showed notable offensive potential during his only collegiate campaign.
“A motion shooter like Walter, who can escape screens and bring high-level defensive intensity, makes a lot of sense,” Givony wrote. “He also has a lot of upside to grow at 19.”
#45 Overall: Keshad Johnson PF – Arizona
An Oakland, California. native Johnson returns to Northern California in this simulation after the Kings take the Arizona product in the second round. Johnson spent four seasons at San Diego State before transferring to Arizona, totaling 149 collegiate appearances in his career.
The 22-year-old forward averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Wildcats during the 2023-24 season, shooting the ball at 53 percent efficiency. Johnson’s abundance of college experience is a plus, while his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame could make his NBA positioning a bit of a mystery, as he falls somewhere between the protypical size of a small forward and a power forward.
#13 Overall: Devin Carter G – Providence
Carter appeared in 96 games for the Friars over three seasons, averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his final collegiate campaign. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard can fill up the stat sheet, but he also has a notable defensive pedigree. O’Connor pointed to the importance of Carter’s two-way ability if he were to be placed in a role that would replace Monk if the latter were to leave this offseason.
Keon Ellis became a huge difference-maker for the Kings last year because of his defense,” O’Connor wrote. “Now imagine if a blocking presence like Carter was replacing Malik Monk, who could walk free. Sacramento would get the two-way players it needs and the entire outlook of the team could change.”
#45 Overall: Harrison Ingram F – North Carolina
After drafting a defense-oriented player in the first round, we’re going to have the Kings double-dip here, but at a different position,” O’Connor wrote. Ingram’s playmaking ability could also fit perfectly into Sacramento’s movement system.
