3 Draft Targets That Prove the Kings Don't Need a Guard at Pick No. 7

Doug Christie has said it, Scott Perry has said it, and even Domantas Sabonis has mentioned the Sacramento Kings’ need for a point guard. Sacramento turned to Russell Westbrook last season, and while he certainly wasn’t bad, his high turnover percentage and lack of shooting and off-ball defense aren’t ideal for a team trying to learn how to play the right way.

After the consensus top four in the draft, most analysts expect the guard class to be front and center, which adds fuel to the fire when it comes to the Kings grabbing one of them, but are they too focused on positional need instead of talent?

The top four of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson are pretty set, with a sizable drop off in star potential after they’re off the board. For most, a group of guards comes next. That group includes: Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, and, depending on your personal feelings, maybe Brayden Burries, Labaron Philon, and Ebuka Okorie.

mikel brown jr.'s intersection of rim pressure, pull-up shooting and live-dribble playmaking is a strong potential star signal. a dynamic primary creator prospect

would not want to overthink him too hard. defensive tape also improved as season went on pic.twitter.com/LTIs1tmclP
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf_) April 26, 2026

There are all talented prospects, no doubt. However, Sacramento has taken some bad swings based on perceived “need” before, and there are some other options they should at least consider.

Nate Ament

First on the list is Tennessee freshman wing, Nate Ament, who the Kings have already spoken to. Ament was an extremely exciting prospect coming into college, but a slow start and poor overall shooting numbers moved him from a lottery lock to someone who may very well fall beyond pick 14.

Ament averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 boards, while shooting 39% from the field and 33% from three. As I mentioned, the numbers aren’t going to be very exciting, but the combination of size, fluidity, and defensive potential is hard to ignore with the direction the NBA is going.

Nate Ament talks about meeting with the Kings pic.twitter.com/x5dYl1aeJo
— Deuce Mason (@DeuceMason) May 13, 2026

Ament needs to develop a lot of his game still, but a high FTR (free-throw rate), decent block/steal percentage, and a willingness to spot up from three all point to a player who will be a solid two-way wing in the NBA. To me, the piece that makes Ament a safe pick is his off-ball defense and ability to get to the line.

I’m not convinced he’ll ever be a high-level on-ball player, but having a 6’10” wing that gets to the line easily, plays both sides of the ball, and has room to develop is still a luxury in the league.

Yaxel Lendeborg

Unless you haven’t watched any college basketball this year, you likely know who Yaxel Lendeborg is. Lendeborg measured nearly 6’9” barefoot with a 7’3” wingspan and over a nine-foot standing reach, which is great size for a wing/forward in the NBA. I wrote about Lendeborg last year when the Kings brought him in for a pre-draft workout, but he ultimately decided to stay in college and commit to Michigan after two years at UAB.

2026 Yaxel Lendeborg pic.twitter.com/JDqikQ67r8
— Pitless (@pitlessball) April 7, 2026

The Big Ten Player of the Year and national champion averaged 15 points, seven boards, a block, and a steal per game with 52/37/82 shooting splits. Truthfully, we may be talking about Lendeborg as part of the consensus top four if he weren’t already 23 years old.

Yaxel was second in BPM to Cameron Boozer this season, and according to BartTorvik, he’s only the eighth player since 2010 to record a BPM of 15 or better. He’s an ideal fit next to Keegan Murray and would immediately plug a lot of holes in a Kings team that looked like a sinking ship all season.

Aday Mara

Finally, we get to Lendeborg’s Michigan teammate, Aday Mara. The Spanish center was the most impactful defender in college basketball with an Anthony Davis-like block percentage of 12.0, which led Division 1.

Mara also turned heads at the combine after measuring 7’3” without shoes, with a 9’9” standing reach and a 7’6” wingspan. Mara isn’t quite as mobile as Victor Wembanyama or even Zach Edey, but his standing reach is tied for second all-time with Mark Williams, which should help make up for that.

Michigan's Aday Mara measured 7'3 barefoot and 260 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, with a 7'6 wingspan and 9'9 standing reach.

Absolutely absurd measurements. Tied with Mark Williams for the second-longest standing reach in Combine history, behind only Tacko Fall. pic.twitter.com/FvZ41Kv1jo
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 11, 2026

It seems like teams are not willing to make the same mistake they made with Edey, as Mara is solidly in play for the lottery. Beyond being massive and possessing great defensive instincts, Mara is a very capable passer who uses his height to see over defenders.

I don’t see Mara having nearly the touch Wembanyama or even Edey possesses, but I’d argue he is the best passer of the bunch and that, combined with his rim protection, makes him a really intriguing fit for Sacramento.

So, Are They Being Too Rigid?

My answer to this is two-fold. I don’t think it is ever wise to completely lock into “need” vs. talent, but there are reasons why looking at the guard class makes more sense.

Mara would be an awesome pick and immediately turn the Kings into at least an average defensive team, but they already have three centers under contract, and two of them are on extremely cheap deals. Lendeborg would also be a great fit, but he’s an older prospect, and the Kings may not even be ready to compete when he’s hitting his prime.

All in all, I hope Sacramento at least brings some of these guys in for a workout, but I wouldn’t say they’re being frivolous by locking in on a lead guard.

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