After a disastrous 60-loss season, the Sacramento Kings have officially been awarded the seventh-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Sunday's draft lottery drawing has officially shaken out as follows:
Washington Wizards
Utah Jazz
Memphis Grizzlies
Chicago Bulls
L.A. Clippers
Brooklyn Nets
Sacramento Kings
Atlanta Hawks
Dallas Mavericks
Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State Warriors
Oklahoma City Thunder
Miami Heat
Charlotte Hornets
The Kings' most likely outcome was to fall two spots to the seventh pick, as they had a 25.5% chance to do so, but obviously, this is an extremely disappointing result.
What This Means
The Kings suffered their second-most losses in a season in franchise history, just to land the seventh pick? The franchise has an obvious reason to be upset with this outcome, but that does not mean it will be a bad draft for the Kings.
Picks 5-14 in the NBA Draft Lottery 2026:
5. LA Clippers
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Miami Heat
14. Charlotte Hornets pic.twitter.com/mZA4P3n3v2
— NBA (@NBA) May 10, 2026
Obviously, they were hoping things would fall their way for a top-four pick, as they did for the Jazz, who jumped up to the second overall pick after beating the Kings in a tie-breaker ahead of the lottery. Still, while they will not be getting one of the "elite" prospects in this class, they should be able to find their new franchise point guard.
With the No. 7 pick, assuming things in the top four shake out as expected, the Kings are guaranteed to have at least three of Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and Labaron Philon available on the board, all of whom could be complete franchise-changers in the right situation.
As one NBA executive told Jeff Goodman ahead of the lottery, "I don't see much disparity from No. 1 to the No. 8 or 9 pick." Just because the Kings did not jump up in the lottery does not mean they are screwed when June 23 rolls around, but they will simply not get as sure-fire a prospect as they were hoping for.
One NBA GM on today's Draft Lottery:
"I don't see much disparity from No. 1 to the No. 8 or 9 pick. I think the No. 3 or 4 pick may be the best because you won't get crucified for not taking Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer or Wilson down the line. The decision will be made for you."
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 10, 2026
Why It Matters
Let's face it, the Kings are the laughing stock of the NBA. They have made just one playoff appearance in the last two decades and have not won a playoff series since 2004, marking one of the longest droughts in American sports.
In what is expected to be a generational-level draft with an incredible pool of prospects, the Kings could not get lucky enough to jump in the lottery and land the franchise cornerstone they desperately need. Yes, of course, they will still land a high-level guard at pick No. 7, but with a 45.2% chance of jumping into the top four and an 11.5% chance at the No. 1 pick, things did not go their way.
We also have to look at who actually won the lottery: the last-place Wizards. As many likely remember, the Kings held the NBA's worst record with less than 20 games left in the season, before winning eight of their last 18 games. While it is an unethical thought, should they have taken their foot off the gas? Now, they are stuck with much more variability in their draft position.
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