Yet another piece of intriguing information has emerged from what is quickly becoming one of the more bizarre buildups to the NBA Draft. After securing the second overall pick in Tuesday night's Draft Lottery, the Sacramento Kings are now claiming that they intend to pass on highly-touted guard Luca Doncic, should he be available.
The man from Real Madrid, who at present has yet to confirm his availability for the draft, is considered by many as the top one/two target this June along with former Arizona Wildcat DeAndre Ayton.
According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, the Kings are instead having a closer look at either 19-year-old small forward Michael Porter Jr. or 7-footer Mohamed Bamba.
Here's the full tweet from Kyler:
He is not staying in Real Madrid. I was told by a few teams on Thursday and again Friday – Kings telling others they are not taking Luka – that can always change, but I am hearing Porter Jr and Bamab may be more real than Luka at this stage. https://t.co/lxYqLPkPbn
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) May 19, 2018
It makes sense for the Kings to pass on Doncic should he be available at number two. After all, they already have a stud in incoming sophomore De'Aaron Fox who they selected as the fifth overall pick in last year's draft. The former University of Kentucky standout did show some flashes of brilliance this season when given the opportunity.
Taking Michael Porter Jr. wouldn't be a bad idea at all for the club from California as they would be establishing a very promising trifecta in Fox, Porter, and big man Willie Cauley-Stein. However, despite the fact that WCS filled in admirably after the departure of DeMarcus Cousins, most will argue that Mohamed Bamba and his 7-foot-10 wingspan would be an upgrade.
The Kings are currently in an enviable position and it will be interesting to see which direction they decide to go this June as they take the next huge steps towards the future of the franchise.
Then again, all these could be smokescreens.
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