Kings draft Duke’s Bagley with second pick
The Kings selected Duke forward Marvin Bagley III with the second-overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday.
Bagley, a consensus All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year as a freshman, impressed the Kings with his size (6-foot-11, 234 pounds), supreme athleticism (40 { inch vertical leap), aggressive style of play and the fact that he’s a student of the game who loves the weight room and film study.
Drafting a big has become an annual affair under Kings general manager Vlade Divac. The Kings have acquired a power forward or center in the first round of each of the last four drafts. Some would argue that goes against the NBA’s trend of playing smaller, more skilled athletes and ignores the glaring need the Kings have for a wing.
Sacramento passed on Slovenian guard/forward Luka Doncic, who is perhaps the best playmaker in the draft and could have filled a void at small forward.
Bagley is an elite rebounder, which is a weakness of the Kings, and the team believes Bagley has the versatility to play power forward or center, so he can play with the bigs already on the roster.
On offense, the Kings see a big man who can score out to the 3-point line and will be a good offensive rebounder.
Bagley averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds for Duke, one of only four players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA last season. Bagley became just the third player (Horace Grant, Tim Duncan) to lead the ACC in scoring, rebounding and fieldgoal percentage. He shot 61.4 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from 3, and 62.7 percent at the free-throw line.
Doncic, 19, is the youngest EuroLeague MVP ever and one of the most accomplished players at his age
in that league’s history. In addition to leading Real Madrid to the EuroLeague championship, Doncic recently led the Spanish team to the Liga ACB title.
The Kings also considered Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. He was perhaps the top high school player in the country two years ago and, like Doncic, would have filled a need at small forward.
Porter, however, played only three games for the Tigers due to back surgery, which has scared off some teams.
Warriors select Jacob Evans with No. 28 pick
OAKLAND — The Warriors selected Cincinnati junior forward Jacob Evans with their No. 28 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday, adding a player that could provide wing depth with defense and outside shooting.
Although the Warriors had maintained they would follow the old adage in selecting the best player available, they entered the draft with hope to shore up their wing depth for multiple reasons. A left knee injury to veteran Andre Iguodala in six playoff games left the Warriors without a dependable wing player, and the Warriors will likely have to manage Iguodala’s minor ailments and minutes during the 2018-19 season. The Warriors are unsure if second-year forward Patrick McCaw will stay as a restricted free agent.
Evans, who worked out with the Warriors on Wednesday, could provide those needs at the wing. He has averaged 11.7 points, while finishing fifth in school history in 3-point shooting (37.7 percent). He also considered an effective wing defender.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers, who plans to speak to reporters following the NBA draft at the team’s practice facility, said he plans to buy picks in the second round. The Warriors secured the rights from Milwaukee to the No. 38 pick in the 2016 NBA draft, which was used on McCaw. The Warriors also collected the No. 38 pick from Chicago in the 2017 NBA draft, which was used on Jordan Bell.
Suns select Deandre Ayton with top pick in NBA draft
NEW YORK — After months of speculation and anticipation, it’s official: Deandre Ayton is headed to Phoenix.
The Suns selected Ayton with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night at Barclays Center.
Ayton, a 7-1, 250-pound forward out of Arizona, is the first Wildcat in school history to be taken with the top pick. He’s the third player from Arizona to go in the top 10 in the past five drafts, following Lauri Markkanen (No. 7 to the Bulls in 2017) and Aaron Gordon (No. 4 to the Magic in 2014).
Ayton, who was born in the Bahamas, played his final two years of high school at Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, so joining the Suns is a homecoming sorts. The 19year-old was one of four players in college basketball last season to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds on the year (20.1 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game). Ayton also averaged 1.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds and was voted Pac-12 Player of the Year in his lone season at Arizona.