SACRAMENTO -- The march to the 2017 NBA Draft continues in Sacramento with twists and turns at almost every step. The latest news broke early Friday morning when it was reported that projected first overall selection Markelle Fultz was scheduled to swing by the practice facility Sunday for a workout.
The news opened the floodgates of speculation, with people jamming social media and other platforms with ideas of what it might take for the Kings to move from the fifth overall selection all the way to No. 1 where the Boston Celtics currently sit poised to select Fultz.
NBC Sports California has learned that the Kings will not in fact host Fultz this weekend and there are no plans for him to workout for the team. But there is a good chance the 19-year-old freshman out of Washington will swing into Sacramento between now and the June 22 draft for a conversation with Kings' front office.
Sacramento has plenty of options leading up to the draft. They have two top ten picks, as well as an early second rounder. In addition, they have a handful of very moveable contracts and some interesting young prospects.
It's unlikely that the Kings have the firepower to entice the Celtics to move from the top overall spot, but getting to know prospects during the draft process is good practice.
Fultz' expected visit further confirms the changing conversation regarding the Sacramento Kings front office. A year or two ago they struggled to bring in top tier talents, but the team of Vlade Divac, Scott Perry, Ken Catanella and Peja Stojakovic are making major strides in their ability to foster relationships with both players and agents.
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After Saturday, the team will have brought in five top 20 talents and if Fultz makes an appearance, that would be the second top five prospect to visit the team's practice facility. With a little under two weeks to go in the draft process, there is still time to bring in more.
More prospects on their way to Sacramento:
Fultz isn't on the menu for the weekend, but plenty of other prospects are. The Kings will host two groups on Saturday, starting with the following six players:
Joe Rahon (G – 6'2" 195 lbs.) Saint Mary's
Milton Doyle (G – 6'3" 178 lbs.) Loyola
Semi Ojeleye (F – 6'5" 241 lbs.) SMU
Matt Williams (G – 6'5" 220 lbs.) Central Florida
RaShawn Thomas (F – 6'6" 233 lbs.) Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Eric Mika (C – 6'10" 233 lbs.) BYU
SMU's Ojeleye is the headliner of the first workout. The 6-foot-7 forward is projected to go in the late first or early second round.
Sacramento will host 6-foot-11 Jarrett Allen in the team's second workout of the day. The freshman out of Texas boasts a 7-foot-5 wingspan and is expected to go somewhere between 10 and 20 in the first round
