Kings fans are used to disappointment on NBA Draft Lottery night and 2021 was no exception. In one of the best drafts in recent memory, the Kings stayed at their projected No. 9 spot, setting up an interesting five weeks leading up to the July 29 NBA Draft.
Sacramento had a 20.3 percent chance of landing one of the top four selections, but it wasn’t to be. The Detroit Pistons landed No. 1 overall pick, with the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors rounding out the top four.
General manager Monte McNair, who represented the franchise at the lottery, has his work cut out for him. This is considered a top-heavy draft, but there are still plenty of talented young players to mull over in the top 10.
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The Kings have moved up in the draft lottery three times in their 36 seasons in Sacramento. They landed the top overall pick in 1989 when they selected center Pervis Ellison.
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In 2017, they jumped from No. 8 to No. 3 on lottery night, before dropping to No. 5 as part of a pick swap with the Philadelphia 76ers. That netted them De'Aaron Fox.
Sacramento defied the odds again in 2018, moving from No. 7 to No. 2 on lottery night, and ultimately selected Marvin Bagley.
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This is a disappointing, but expected outcome for the Kings. They had a 46.4 percent chance of landing at No. 9 and a 29.4 percent chance of falling to No. 10. While they didn’t land a top four pick, they also didn’t fall a spot or two.