2025 NBA Mock Draft Roundup: Sacramento Kings

Several first-round picks that Sacramento could trade for have already been dealt. The Brooklyn Nets also acquired their fifth first-round pick on Tuesday. It is highly unlikely that the Nets use all five picks, and they would be a natural partner for the Kings should Sacramento want to move up, as Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have reported.

Outside of Brooklyn’s glut of picks, the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Orlando Magic remain viable trade partners for the Kings to move into the first round and into the 20s should they so desire.

With the draft finally upon us, here is who some prominent outlets have the Kings selecting with the 42nd pick tomorrow. Most are familiar names by now, but several new names are worth noting when considering the Kings’ reported offseason goal:

2025 Sacramento Kings NBA Draft roundup | James Mccauley

One notable newcomer mocked to Sacramento here is Kobe Sanders. The big guard out of Nevada provides outstanding positional length and, though he is one of the older prospects in the Draft, is still on a clear positive developmental trajectory. He improved each season at Cal Poly before transferring to Nevada, where he popped as a playmaker.

Breaking down Pick & Roll reads with 6'8 Nevada guard Kobe Sanders. The 23-year-old ranked in the 85th percentile nationally as a high-volume PnR operator this season. Shows real patience, feel, and finesse at his size. Comfortable in the mid-range. pic.twitter.com/r7YgCHtwFL
— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) June 6, 2025

Kobe Sanders profile | DraftCasual

Sanders may not bring the athleticism teams usually look for, but his feel for the game and plus-size may allow him to carve out an NBA role - big initiators like this usually go much higher in the draft. Sanders’ age and only recently stepping into this archetype at a Mountain West school tamp some of the excitement down, but Sanders could be a worthwhile investment should he be available at 42 to see if his skills translate to the next level.

Sacramento’s reported top priority this summer is to address the point guard position. Players and front office alike have stated this desire. Javon Small, who has worked out for the Kings during the pre-Draft process, could help address that glaring hole. The true point guard from West Virginia is one of the best passers in this draft class.

West Virginia’s Javon Small might be the most underrated prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Cerebral P&R playmaking talent (2.12 A/TO) with strong feel, shooting touch + athletic traits @ 6’1 (40.5” max vert, +4 inch wingspan). 41.8/35.3/88 splits.

4th in the nation in VORP (10.4) https://t.co/uFXhnS5HE7 pic.twitter.com/UQ6gexo3RL
— Mohamed (@mcfNBA) June 18, 2025

Small fits the Kings’ desire for a point guard as well as any prospect likely to be available at the 42nd pick. Like other guard prospects Sacramento has been mocked, Small has the ability to spot up if needed, hitting over 40% of his spot-up threes last season per Synergy.

Javon Small profile | DraftCasua

However, Small is (no pun intended) against the eight-ball in terms of positional size (just 6’1 190). Guards with his dimensions have a low hit rate. As the NBA continues to get taller and longer, Small will have to be even better at the things he does well to compensate for defenders being able to more easily cover him and his teammates.

Regardless of the flags raised by his dimensions, Small is seen as a sleeper in this draft. Kings fans should be excited about the potential offensive fit and playmaking boost Small would provide to a team that so desperately needs a table setter for all of the offensive firepower scattered across other parts of the roster.

Some parting words before draft day are that mocks should all be taken with a grain of salt. Projecting any draft picks outside of Cooper Flagg to Dallas and (to a slightly lesser degree) Dylan Harper to San Antonio takes a good amount of projection and reading tea leaves. Obviously, the uncertainty is amplified in the second round, even more so this season when teams will have a night to regroup and potentially make trades before the second round begins.

If Sacramento stays put, they will not make the 42nd pick until Thursday because the Draft now spans two days. So, there is plenty of time for fans to hypothesize about who might be available and how they could fit into the next iteration of the Sacramento Kings.

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