THE RUMOR: The Kings have two picks inside the top 10 in this month's NBA Draft but are infatuated with Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox and are willing to trade their No. 5 and No. 10 picks in order to select him.
MORE: Stephen Curry's new shoes attracting a lot of attention
REPORTED BY: ESPN's Chad Ford ($)
THE DETAILS: Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are expected to be selected 1-2, but after that it gets a bit murky with the 76ers on the clock at No. 3. Fox has rocketed up draft boards and if he isn't taken by the 76ers, then the Suns are likely to draft him at No. 4. The Kings, seeing no way Fox will drop to No. 5, would likely trade with Philadelphia to guarantee Fox is a King.
THIS PAST SEASON: Fox has handled himself well in interviews with scouts and teams as he transitions to professional basketball. According to NBA Media, he is mature, smart and handled the spotlight well during and after his freshman year at Kentucky. Under coach John Calipari, Fox averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the regular season.
OUR TAKE: Fox, a 6-3, 170-pound guard is getting a lot of comparisons to fellow Kentucky product John Wall, and for good reason. Fox is a stellar lead guard in transition and uses his elite quickness to find an open shot or hit his streaking teammates. He rebounds well for a guard and plays great defense, a perfect fit for the Kings. But trading two top-10 picks for him seems a bit much.
Ford's mock currently has the Kings using their picks to take Jayson Tatum and Frank Ntilikina, players who have their own potential to be like Allan Houston and Dante Exum, respectively. It's hard to see the Sixers passing on Josh Jackson at No. 3, so perhaps the Kings won't have to trade both their top-10 picks to move up to No. 4. Sacramento does have the No. 34 pick it can also as trade bait.