Inside The Kings

Kings to Host Six Prospects for Pre-Draft Workouts

The Sacramento Kings are reportedly bringing in six prospects for workouts ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
James Mccauley|
Mar 1, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) handles the ball during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
Mar 1, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) handles the ball during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

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Sacramento Kings

As the Sacramento Kings’ offseason continues after the hirings of Scott Perry as General Manager and Doug Christie as Head Coach, the team is reportedly bringing in their first group of players for a pre-draft workout on Monday.

Since the Kings will most likely be without their first-round pick, they will likely focus on prospects to select with their second-round pick or potential two-way, Exhibit 10, or summer league contracts. 

The first group includes Silas Demary (Georgia - UCONN commit in the transfer portal), Wooga Poplar (Villanova), Tamar Bates (Missouri), Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), Amari Williams (Kentucky), and Rueben Chinyelu (Florida).

Of this group, Darrion Williams appears to be the most likely player to end up with the Kings. The Sacramento native (Capital Christian alum) is commonly mocked in the 40s, where the Kings are slated to pick 42nd.

As discussed in our March Madness prospect overviews, Williams is a versatile wing who emerged as a star and served as the catalyst for Texas Tech’s Elite Eight run. 

Despite his standing as a draftable prospect, there is a real chance Williams opts to return to Texas Tech, given the NIL he could command and the school’s willingness to spend. 

Silas Demary is a 6-foot-5 combo guard who played for Georgia last season. He was one of the hottest names in the transfer portal and has committed to UCONN for next season. However, he is testing the draft waters while maintaining his eligibility and hopes to decide whether to stay in the draft or head to UCONN in the next week or two.

Demary was second in scoring and led Georgia in assists per game while playing alongside projected lottery pick Asa Newell. Demary averaged 13.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 3.1 APG. He brings good size for a lead guard, which the Kings could use if they see him as a point guard. 

Demary’s commitment to UCONN makes it unlikely he stays in the draft. He noted that he is “50/50” between going to UCONN and heading to the NBA in a recent interview and noted several times that being a first-round pick is a goal of his, and that he would be perfectly content with going to UCONN to develop for a year. 

Wooga Poplar is a wing out of Villanova, transferring to his hometown Wildcats from Miami, where he was a key player on their Final Four team in 2022-23. Poplar scored 15.2 PPG on 46/38/85 splits at Villanova last season and showed that he could score from several levels at the college level. 

Poplar was recently named to the Portsmouth Invitational All-Tournament Team and has some momentum in the draft process. It would not be a shock to see Poplar play well in the summer league and land himself a two-way contract with a team that needs scoring from an off-ball guard. 

Tamar Bates is another 6-foot-5 guard, coming from Missouri after a productive four-year college career. Bates developed well in his two seasons at Indiana and two with the Tigers. The lefty wing managed to turn his 3PT shooting from a weakness (29.8% as a freshman at Indiana) into a strength - Bates did not shoot below 37% his last three college seasons. 

Like Poplar, Bates made the All-Tournament Team at Portsmouth and can likely carve out a nice career in the G League or overseas if he keeps shooting the ball at a high level. 

Amari Williams is a center from Kentucky. He would bring much-needed size and skill in the paint, standing at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. Williams recently earned a G League Elite Camp Invitation and is a candidate to get a call-up to the NBA Combine. 

We do not know what Sacramento’s offense will look like yet, but Williams would make a snug fit in the offense from the last couple of seasons, where the center operates as a high-post hub. Williams averaged 3.1 APG, showing impressive versatility that teams could certainly value in the second round. 

Reuben Chinyelu is another big who will be in for the workout. Chinyelu is a center from Florida who did not put up notable counting stats for the national champion Gators, who also had Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh play significant roles in their frontcourt. Chinyelu was teammates with Kings’ big Isaac Jones at Washington State before transferring to Florida.

Chinyelu is exactly what you want in a rotational big - he is low maintenance, and enjoys doing the little things that help his team win. He averaged 6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 0.9 BPG in just 19 MPG. Considering that Chinyelu has several years of eligibility left, there is a strong chance he heads back to school for a significant NIL offer. 

Once again, it is important to note that the pre-draft workouts are relatively insignificant in the big picture of the draft process. These are typically just teams doing their due diligence. There are plenty of other opportunities to see prospects, including the NBA Combine coming up this month. Most agencies host pro days for their clients in the draft, as well. 

The prospect list could become much more star-studded if the Kings were to jump into the top four and keep their pick. The lottery takes place on May 12.

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James Mccauley
JAMES MCCAULEY

James Mccauley covers the NBA and Sacramento Kings for Sacramento Kings On SI.

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