An Under-the-Radar Draft Lottery Result That Could Help the Kings

The NBA Draft Lottery is Sunday at noon PT, and the Sacramento Kings are eagerly waiting to see where they land in one of the most important drafts in franchise history. After finishing the season 22-60 and losing the tie-breaker with the Utah Jazz, the Kings have the fifth-best odds in the lottery.

The Kings have an 11.5% chance at the first overall pick. While that is obviously the top prize, there is an underrated scenario that would still make the Kings very happy.

The No. 4 pick still gives the Kings a franchise cornerstone

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Of course, the Kings want the No. 1 pick so they can have their pick of the litter, but as long as they jump into the top four, they are set. Here are the Kings' full odds at a top-four pick:

No. 1 pick: 11.5%
No. 2 pick: 11.4%
No. 3 pick: 11.2%
No. 4 pick: 11.0%

By landing the fourth overall pick, the Kings are in the prime spot to draft Caleb Wilson, a versatile forward out of North Carolina who has as high a ceiling as the three prospects ahead of him. And, if a team in the top three prefers Wilson, then Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson could even fall to the fourth spot.

READ: What the Kings Should Do at Every Possible Draft Position in 2026

All in all, by landing the fourth pick, the Kings are guaranteed a franchise cornerstone. All eyes will be on who jumps up to the first overall pick, but the fourth spot is an underrated landing spot, especially for this Kings franchise that simply needs high-level talent.

Below are the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery probabilities for each team ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SPuHiKew7n
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 8, 2026

As long as the Kings are walking out of Barclays Center on June 23 with AJ Dybantsa, Boozer, Peterson, or Wilson, their offseason will be viewed as a win. They do not necessarily need to jump to first overall to get what they need, but as long as they can get into the top four, which they have a 45.2% chance of doing, they would be winners.

The No. 6 pick gives the Kings positional need

However, a top-four pick is not the only way the Kings could be happy on draft night. The Kings have an 18.2% chance at the sixth overall pick, and that could still be a suitable outcome.

Jan 3, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr (5) celebrates after a foul call against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Sure, the Kings are targeting talent over fit, but they can get the franchise point guard they need, even if they slide in the lottery. By landing the No. 6 pick, the Kings would be guaranteed Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff, or Keaton Wagler, each of whom provides a unique skill set that could translate to being the Kings' new star point guard.

In other words, the Kings do not need to land the first overall pick to be happy on draft night. As long as they do not fall as far as pick No. 8 (8.5%) or No. 9 (0.6%), then they should be set to add a franchise cornerstone on June 23.

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