2019 NBA Draft: Sacramento Kings fill needs in final mock draft
By Justin Fried
The 2019 NBA Draft is finally upon us and the Sacramento Kings are set to make three second-round picks. Here is one final mock draft ahead of the big night.
The buildup to the 2019 NBA Draft has felt like one of the most underwhelming in recent memory for the Sacramento Kings. This is a team that has selected in the top-10 of the first-round for the past 10 years now with five of those picks having come in the top-five.
Yet, they sit here this year without a first-round pick for the first time this century. However, that doesn’t mean that draft day won’t be exciting for the Kings.
The team currently has three second-round picks at the moment with their first coming at pick No. 40, followed by pick No. 47, and ending with “Mr. Irrelevant” at pick No. 60. While there’s a fairly good chance that the Kings don’t ultimately make all three selections, for the sake of simplicity, this mock will not include any trades.
Perhaps Sacramento could get aggressive and package their picks to move back into the first round or perhaps they’ll simply sell one or more of their selections for cash. But in this mock, they will, in fact, make all three selections.
It can be difficult to find impact players in the second-round but the Kings will be looking for at least one player who can contribute in a bench role at least in the long-term. With that, let’s take a look at our final mock for the 2019 NBA Draft.
Round 2, Pick 40 — PF/C Daniel Gafford (Arkansas)
A few months ago, Daniel Gafford was considered a surefire first-round pick. But his stock has seemingly fallen as of late as draft experts have begun to favor other big men instead.
Fortunately, Sacramento could be the beneficiaries of such a fall.
Gafford has an excellent blend of size and athleticism reminiscent of a “modern day” NBA center. He can be very effective in the pick-and-roll game and excels when asked to be a screen-setter or a rim-runner.
The 6-foot-11 big man played in an up-tempo style offense while at Arkansas which could make him an ideal fit in Sacramento’s offense. His defensive prowess should help his case as well with the Kings searching for a younger, cheaper player to fill Kosta Koufos‘ role.
While his basketball IQ still needs some work and he still struggles with foul trouble, Gafford would be a great fit with the Kings and give the team some much-needed young big-man depth.
If Gafford is there at pick No. 40, there’s a good shot that he could hear his name called by the Kings and that he could find his way into the rotation by the start of next season.