What a Top-Three Draft Pick Would Mean for the Kings

In the 2022-23 season, the Sacramento Kings finally snapped a 16-year playoff drought. Despite missing the playoffs for 16 straight years, though, the Kings picked in the top three of the NBA Draft just once.

In the 2018 draft, the Kings selected big man Marvin Bagley III second overall, and while that pick did not pan out how they would have hoped, they can try to make up for it this summer. While the Kings currently sit in fourth place in the draft lottery, they have a 36.6% chance to land in the top three. What would a top-three pick in this year's draft mean for the Kings franchise?

Landing one of the "elite" prospects

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) grabs the ball in front of UConn Huskies forward Jaylin Stewart (3) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

While guys like Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr., and Keaton Wagler have each gotten plenty of attention from scouts, there is a clear-cut top-three in this year's class: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer.

By landing anywhere in the top three, the Kings are guaranteed one of those top-three prospects, and if they manage to jump to the first or second pick, they could even choose their preference.

Especially after trading away De'Aaron Fox, and with Domantas Sabonis dealing with injuries, the Kings have lacked a star. By landing a top-three pick, the Kings would have a new franchise cornerstone to build around, helping them escape this rebuild phase as quickly as possible.

Breaking a trend

Oct 16, 2019; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (35) during the game against Melbourne United at Golden 1 Center. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Bagley is the Kings' only top-three pick in the last 30+ years, but similar to most of Sacramento's high draft picks, he did not pan out. Sure, the Kings have hit on a few players in the draft, like De'Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, and DeMarcus Cousins, but all three left before being able to accomplish anything with the franchise.

By landing a stud in this year's class, the Kings could finally turn their draft luck around. New general manager Scott Perry led the franchise's 2025 draft effort, which included trading up for Nique Clifford in the first round and taking the steal of the draft, Maxime Raynaud, in the second. With a top-three pick in a loaded 2026 class, the Kings should be able to break their unfortunate draft trend.

Of course, the idea of taking Boozer, a big man out of Duke, would give many fans flashbacks of the Bagley experience, but landing any elite prospect in this class would be a major upgrade to what they have now.

Giving fans some hope

Mar 10, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) runs downcourt after scoring as the crowd cheers during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Most importantly, landing a top prospect in this year's draft would give Kings fans some much-needed hope. After such a disastrous 2025-26 campaign, the Kings cannot blame fans for losing hope and interest. They can change that this offseason, though.

Sure, a guy like Wilson, Flemings, or Acuff might excite some fans, but landing a top-three prospect this summer would put fans back into their seats next season. Of course, it is not all about selling tickets, but getting fans interested again with an exciting young core and a centerpiece to build around is exactly what this franchise needs.