Mock draft 2026

The last time the Kings did something similar in 2017 with Scott Perry as AGM, we traded #10 for #15 (Justin Jackson) and #20 (Harry Giles). Oh, Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo went at #13 and #14.

EDIT: While Vlade was the GM, Scott was the VP of basketball operations
Trading from 10 down 15+20 is similar but not the same as say, 1 to 4 and 9, or 1 to 3 plus 2028 and 2029 1st rounds and 2026 and 2027 2nd round etc. There seems to be some question on who #1 is in this draftpool.......then you have a counter example selecting Bagley at 2......you whiff and that's it. Why not aim for more horses if is more uncertainty.
 
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Trading from 10 down 15+20 is similar but not the same as say, 1 to 4 and 9, or 1 to 3 plus 2028 and 2029 1st rounds and 2026 and 2027 2nd round etc. There seems to be some question on who #1 is in this draftpool.......then you have a counter example selecting Bagley at 2......you whiff and that's it. Why not aim for more horses if is more uncertainty.
Because 1-5 are Clydesdales and everyone else are ponies
 
Trading from 10 down 15+20 is similar but not the same as say, 1 to 4 and 9, or 1 to 3 plus 2028 and 2029 1st rounds and 2026 and 2027 2nd round etc. There seems to be some question on who #1 is in this draftpool.......then you have a counter example selecting Bagley at 2......you whiff and that's it. Why not aim for more horses if is more uncertainty.

If you whiff then you whiff but you don’t trade down unless you going from 1 to 2 or 3. The draft is good in the top 8 but there’s a difference between the top 3 guys and the rest.
 
Because 1-5 are Clydesdales and everyone else are ponies
Are you certain all 5 are to be "Clydesdales"?...... who's the thoroughbred?......in a fairly good draft there may be 2 or 3 of the first 5 as all-team or all-stars. Unless say Lebron James or Wemby - its a crapshoot - who's the next Halliburton? That's uncertain. I see alot of praise for Caleb Wilson who's 4 or 5 in many mocks, that's good. If so called 5 deep how about go #4 and grab some other darts. None of this is relevant until the lottery day, and the Kings just need to make sure they stay in the bottom 3 which they are for the percentile points. And then of course you have the Mavericks with 2% chance of getting Cooper Flagg.......
 
If you whiff then you whiff but you don’t trade down unless you going from 1 to 2 or 3. The draft is good in the top 8 but there’s a difference between the top 3 guys and the rest.
Its all hypothetical - but that's the point on whiffing, if you whiff trading down you have insurance, maybe not great insurance but a shot. Pick up those additional 1sts and 2nds for more darts - grab Caleb Wilson and a couple out year 1sts and in-year 2nds or Dybansta and an extra 1st and 2nd. Kings had a very good draft this last year with later stage players. Cardwell was a fantastic undrafted pickup. How he didn't make the 2nd round selection is beyond me, but Kings scouts spotted him. I'd like to pull how their scouts do in the posited hypothetical trading down with better picks. It likely won't happen but would like to see it if it does.
 
Its all hypothetical - but that's the point on whiffing, if you whiff trading down you have insurance, maybe not great insurance but a shot. Pick up those additional 1sts and 2nds for more darts - grab Caleb Wilson and a couple out year 1sts and in-year 2nds or Dybansta and an extra 1st and 2nd. Kings had a very good draft this last year with later stage players. Cardwell was a fantastic undrafted pickup. How he didn't make the 2nd round selection is beyond me, but Kings scouts spotted him. I'd like to pull how their scouts do in the posited hypothetical trading down with better picks. It likely won't happen but would like to see it if it does.

You can get too cute with this stuff. Atlanta traded the draft pick that became Luka Doncic to the Mavericks in order to move down to grab Trae Young and pick up an extra future first (which they used to draft... Cam Reddish). If you're planning to trade down like that, you'd better be confident in the guy you're targeting in a draft like this.
 
If nothing else, seeing Cam's height next to Wilson has convinced me that he's *not* going to be undersized for the PF.

Caleb's jumper looks real.
Many drafts have Flemings moving up to 4th and Wilson as the 5th pick. If we can keep the 1st seed Wilson would be a hell of a “consolation prize”.

Washington with Davis, Sarr, Coulibaly and Champ….. may well go Flemings over Wilson as might Utah with Markennan, JJJ, Bailey and George.
 
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The last time the Kings did something similar in 2017 with Scott Perry as AGM, we traded #10 for #15 (Justin Jackson) and #20 (Harry Giles). Oh, Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo went at #13 and #14.

EDIT: While Vlade was the GM, Scott was the VP of basketball operations
Considering we could have come out of it with Jarrett Allen and OG Anunoby the trade down was not horrible just the picks were horrible.

But in this draft the top 5 are so good I don’t think you trade especially if we can take an elusive big wing.
 
You know Flemings is good when he’s making you disregard your no small guards rule!
To be fair it’s a don’t stack small guards rule because you can’t easily trade for big wings with them.

If it makes you feel all is normal…

if I were given the choice at 4 between Flemings and Wilson I would take Wilson because wings like him can’t be found later in the draft.
 
To be fair it’s a don’t stack small guards rule because you can’t easily trade for big wings with them.

If it makes you feel all is normal…

if I were given the choice at 4 between Flemings and Wilson I would take Wilson because wings like him can’t be found later in the draft.

I'll predict that Flemings is a better NBA player than both Wilson and Boozer. Wouldn't surprise me at all. So I currently pick him at 3, when Peterson and Dybansta are gone....and like him better than Fox at this stage. Also wouldn't be against trading down a spot or two to get him and add something else, if that chance is there.

Still have an awkward feeling about Boozer. Looks a like a tweener at the NBA level. Not a 5, but also not enough of a "wing 4". More of a traditional power forward, which can still work well in college, but harder to translate to the next level
 
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I'll predict that Flemings is a better NBA player than both Wilson and Boozer. Wouldn't surprise me at all. So I currently pick him at 3, when Peterson and Dybansta are gone....and like him better than Fox at this stage. Also wouldn't be against trading down a spot or two to get him and add something else, if that chance is there.

Still have an awkward feeling about Boozer. Looks a like a tweener at the NBA level. Not a 5, but also not enough of a "wing 4". More of a traditional power forward, which can still work well in college, but harder to translate to the next level
Yeah not sure about Boozer either. But his FT rate at .762 is not poor and that tends to be the best predictor of 3 point percentage.

But I for sure take Wilson over Flemings and I like Flemings.
 
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