The ping pong balls have spoken. There is some good news and some bad. The lottery gods smiled down on the Sacramento when the team jumped from the eighth overall all the way to the third pick in the draft. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers had the right to swap picks, costing Sacramento two spots.
Sacramento now officially own both the fifth and 10th overall selections after the Pelicans failed to move up into the top three of the draft. While a top three selection would have been a huge boon for the team, the Kings have to be ecstatic with a top five selection in a highly regarded draft class.
The Kings GM Vlade Divac issued a statement shortly after the conclusion of the NBA Draft Lottery.
"We are pleased with the outcome tonight and excited to have secured two top 10 picks in a very strong draft. We're in a great position to improve our team and we look forward to the draft this summer."
It could have been much worse for Sacramento. After six years, the J.J. Hickson transaction is finally off the books. By staying inside the top 10 with their own selection, the Kings will now relay their second round selection (pick No. 38) to the Chicago Bulls to complete the 2011 trade that sent Omri Casspi and a protected pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Hickson.
Hickson didn't make it through the season before being waived, but the pick restrictions remained in place, hampering the Kings' ability to make trades involving picks for ever since.
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Sacramento also received good news when the New Orleans Pelicans card was flipped at No. 10. The Kings landed a top three protected pick from the Pelicans as part of the DeMarcus Cousins trade over All-Star weekend. With New Orleans failing to move up into the top three spots, their picks is now officially property of the Kings.
It wasn't a banner night. The team moved up into the top end of the lottery where a bevy of young point guards are waiting. But the fact that the Kings walk into a very strong draft night on June 22nd with No. 5 and No. 10 and an early second rounder obtained in the Cousins deal, is good news for a franchise in rebuild mode.
Here is the complete lottery:
14. Heat
13. Nuggets
12. Pistons
11. Hornets
10. Kings
9. Mavericks
8. Knicks
7. Timberwolves
6. Magic
5. Kings
4. Suns
3. 76ers
2. Lakers
1. Celtics
