The Sacramento Kings have failed to hit their desired direction for several years now. The franchise has not had a winning record or made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season. Their attempts at creating a competitive core have come up short. The outlook has been grim surrounding Sacramento for years.

The franchise made some notable changes to flip into win-now mode last season. The Kings clearly have their sights set on competing, highlighted by the Tyrese Haliburton trade for Domantas Sabonis. It also increases the likelihood that they take a big swing during the draft. While there is certainly still work to be done on the roster, the Kings must be careful on what decision is made. There have been a ton of rumors about the Kings trading the pick as the 4th selection holds a ton of appeal around the NBA. Flipping the pick for a win-now player could make a lot of sense given the state of the franchise.

Regardless of if the Kings make a pick or not they must be calculated with what their best option is. If they do end up making the 4th overall selection, here are two players they must avoid.

2 players Kings must avoid in 2022 NBA Draft

Keegan Murray

Keegan Murray had one of the best seasons of any player in college basketball last year. The Iowa product averaged 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. He also connected on 39.8% of his three-point attempts while shooting 4.7 attempts per game. Murray is a terror in transition and plays with a great motor. The 21-year-old led all Division 1 players in transition points with 1.5 points per possession. He took a massive leap in his sophomore season and projects well as a 6'8″ wing.

As great as Murray is, he is not the missing piece for the Sacramento Kings. He is an elite shot creator and projects best as more of a complementary piece. He would make more of an immediate impact than many of the rookies. However, Murray's ceiling is lower than several of the guys set to be drafted behind him. The core of Domantas Sabonis, De'Aaron Fox, and Davion Mitchell is solid, but not quite in the contending category. If the Kings believe in their long-term growth then Murray would be a nice fitting player to pair with. However, it feels as if there is not quite enough top-end talent for the franchise to take the necessary leap. Adding Jaden Ivey or flipping the 4th pick for a higher upside return would be a much more impactful move for the franchise.

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Shaedon Sharpe

When talking about upside, Shaedon Sharpe is certainly a prospect that fits this category. The 19-year-old reclassified from the 2022 high school class in order to attend Kentucky early. Despite this, the former number one overall ranked prospect never suited up for a game in college. Sharpe has intriguing potential and sky-high upside but is a major question mark due to the lack of tape. The 49-inch vertical and NBA-ready play-style is certain to draw a high NBA selection. He has impressive shooting footwork, is a high-level finisher, and has NBA-ready size.

While Sharpe could end up being the steal of the draft, taking him with the 4th overall pick is too much of an upside swing. The 6'5″ guard has not played live basketball against high-level competition in over a year. He has shown impressive flashes on the circuits leading up to last season, but still clearly has things to work on. Sharpe must tighten his handle and develop as a more willing passer at the NBA level. It is nearly impossible to gauge how much development he has done in his time off. He is the ultimate mystery player in this draft, but Sharpe would be too large of a risk for the Kings.

The Kings have gotten closer to growing into a contender but still have some key decisions still to make. They must be extremely calculated in which direction to go after their 30-52 record last season. The Kings have come up short on several larger swings in recent years and must take a safer route in the draft. Guys like Willie Cauley-Stein, Marquese Chriss, Marvin Bagley, and Ben McLemore have all failed to develop as hoped.

While he is not the cleanest on-court fit, Jaden Ivey should be regarded as the highest caliber talent on the board. Bennedict Mathurin also should hold some intrigue due to the high floor when making the NBA leap. Choosing between these two or making a trade for a known win-now player is the better route for the franchise. If Sacramento cannot get it right this year it could lead to some massive shakeup within the franchise. Look for the Kings to make a safer move and take the next step closer to growing into the contenders they hope to be.