The trials and tribulations of the Sacramento Kings have been well documented throughout NBA history. Their last championship was in 1951, and currently are in the midst of a 16-year playoff drought. A lot of the issues have arisen as a direct result of their blatant inability to draft well and build competitive teams on the court. Consistently, the Kings have had players who wound up becoming superstars within their grasps only to choose a far lesser player either directly or a few picks before him.
- Richard Washington (1976 NBA Draft) – 3rd Overall Pick
- Phil Ford (1978 NBA Draft) – 2nd Overall Pick
- Steve Johnson (1981 NBA Draft) – 7th Overall Pick
- Joe Kleine (1985 NBA Draft) – 6th Overall Pick
- Tyreke Evans (2009 NBA Draft) – 4th Overall Pick
- Bismack Biyombo (2011 NBA Draft) – 7th Overall Pick
- Thomas Robinson (2012 NBA Draft) – 5th Overall Pick
- Nik Stauskas (2014 NBA Draft) – 8th Overall Pick
- Willie Cauley-Stein (2015 NBA Draft) – 6th Overall Pick
- Marvin Bagley III (2018 NBA Draft) – 2nd Overall Pick
- Can The Sacramento Kings Break The Curse?
Over the last 75 years, the Kings have only had one stretch where they legitimately had a chance at the NBA championship, and that was in the early 2000s. Even back in the days of Oscar Robertson, the franchise has never been able to build that well-oiled championship machine. While the mistakes by the Kings’ organization are well documented, today, we dive a bit deeper into just how catastrophic these moves ended up being and how it has cost them too much time.
Here are the worst draft mistakes in Sacramento Kings’ history.
Richard Washington (1976 NBA Draft) – 3rd Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Adrian Dantley – 6th Overall Pick
In 1975, the Kansas City Kings were just coming off a season in which they won 31 games and didn’t have much for offense outside of All-Star Tiny Archibald. They needed a guy who could come in and offer instant buckets consistently. They opted to select Richard Washington with the 3rd overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft. Washington was a 6’11” power forward out of UCLA, where he won a championship his 2nd year and averaged 20.1 PPG and 8.6 RPG his final year. He showed promise in his rookie season, averaging 13.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG. He would be traded by Kansas City to the Milwaukee Bucks before the 1979 season and was out of basketball by the end of 1982 with career averages of 9.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.2 APG.
Just 3 picks later, the Buffalo Braves drafted Adrian Dantley. He was a 20.0 PPG scorer straight away in his rookie season, and it only got better from there. Granted, he was traded by Buffalo after the season to the Lakers, but that had more to do with fit and money than anything. After a brief stint with the Lakers, Dantley moved onto the Utah Jazz, where he went on one of the best scoring stretches in NBA history. Dantley had 4 years of 30.0 PPG consecutive seasons from 1981 through 1984. He won 2 scoring titles in that stretch and also pulled down at least 6.0 RPG and dished out 4.0 APG. Dantley and Archibald could have made some serious noise together with the Kings.
Phil Ford (1978 NBA Draft) – 2nd Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Larry Bird – 6th Overall Pick
Two years after the Dantley debacle, the Kings were now in search of another scorer/playmaker, but this time it was to replace Tiny Archibald, who had departed after the 1976 season. The Kings opted to go with a 6’2” point guard out of UNC, Phil Ford. Phil lived up to the bill for the first 3 seasons of his career with consecutive seasons of at least 15.0 PPG and 7.0 APG. He was even selected to the 1978-79 All-NBA Second Team in his rookie season. During the 1981 season, Ford was forced to undergo season-ending eye surgery. He never returned to his former status as a player and retired in 19885 at the age of 28.
To be fair, there were 4 other teams besides the Kings that made the mistake of passing on Larry Bird. It just makes it worse when the Kings desperately needed a franchise guy, and that is exactly what Bird became. He led the Celtics to three NBA championships in the 1980s while winning 2 Finals MVP awards and three consecutive regular-season MVP awards. He is known as one of the all-time great shooters, playmakers, and defenders of the decade and NBA history. He turned out to be a consensus Top 10 player of all-time, while Phil Ford flamed out after 3 seasons.
Steve Johnson (1981 NBA Draft) – 7th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Tom Chambers – 8th Overall Pick
By the time that the 1981 NBA Draft rolled around, the Kings had just come off another below .500 season. They had found a rhythm somewhat with their guard and wings, but the Kings’ frontcourt still had serious issues. There was barely any production on either end from the power forward or center positions. They decided on center Steve Johnson from Oregon State for the solution to their problems. He was not. Johnson provided 2 seasons to the Kings of at least 11.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG before he was used as a part of the deal that brought in Reggie Theus. He would become an All-Star with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988 and put up career averages of 11.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.2 APG.
Tom Chambers was selected one pick later by the San Diego Clippers. Chambers recorded back-to-back seasons of 17.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG. He was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in 1983, and it was there that he began to develop into a consistent 20.0 PPG scorer and an All-Star. Chambers moved on to Phoenix in 1988, where he made three straight All-Star Games with three straight seasons of 20.0 PPG, including 25.7 PPG in 1989 and 27.2 PPG in 1990. He was exactly what the Kings could have used at the time.
Joe Kleine (1985 NBA Draft) – 6th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Chris Mullin – 7th Overall Pick
Fast forward to the 1985 NBA Draft, and the Sacramento Kings were still looking for their star big man. They opted to take Joe Kleine, a 6’11” center out of Arkansas. Kleine had been a 22.1 PPG and 8.4 RPG player his senior year at Arkansas, but the talent and numbers just didn’t translate to the pro level. Kleine lasted just three years with the Kings before he was traded with Ed Pinckney to acquire Danny Ainge from the Boston Celtics in 1989. He peaked in his final season in Sacramento with 9.8 PPG and 7.1 RPG. This would be the best season Kleine had in his 15-year career.
On the other hand, the Kings could have certainly used another scorer and shooter as well. The Golden State Warriors capitalized on the Kings’ mishap and drafted Chris Mullin with the very next pick after Kleine. Mullin developed into one of the best players in basketball by 1989. From 1989 through 1993, Mullin would make 5 All-Star Games and be selected to 4 All-NBA Teams. He averaged 25.8 PPG and 5.6 RPG over those 5 seasons, and the Warriors went to the playoffs in 4 of those seasons. Mullin was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame in 2010, making him yet another Hall of Famer they let slip through their grasp.
Tyreke Evans (2009 NBA Draft) – 4th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Stephen Curry – 7th Overall Pick
To be fair, the Minnesota Timberwolves messed this draft up more than any other team considering they had not one but two chances to draft Stephen Curry. They opted for Tyreke Evans with the 4th overall pick, and he was not a bad selection for the first few seasons. Evans won Rookie Of The Year in 2010 with 20.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 5.8 APG. Over the next three seasons, he was a consistent scorer and playmaker, but things fell apart behind the scenes due to injury and the frustration of losing. He would be dealt to the Pelicans in 2013 to never match his rookie season numbers ever again.
Three picks later, the Warriors ended up taking the player that ended up being the best in the class. It took a few years, but Stephen Curry ended up becoming the man who changed the game to a more perimeter-based league. He is the greatest shooter to ever live and has delivered 4 championships to The Bay Area. He was the NBA’s first-ever unanimous MVP and took home two of them in his career. How much is there to be said when you draft a player who only gave you 4 years as opposed to a Top 2 point guard in NBA history?
Bismack Biyombo (2011 NBA Draft) – 7th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Kawhi Leonard – 15th Overall Pick
Within a span of two seasons, we could have had Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry on the same team in Sac Town. Instead, in 2011, the Kings decided on Kawhi’s teammate at San Diego State, Bismack Biyombo. They then used Biyombo to acquire Jimmer Fredette and John Salmons from the Milwaukee Bucks. Salmons was past his prime and turned out to be a two-year roster filler at that point. Fredette had a ton of hype surrounding him coming out of BYU as a top scorer in the nation his senior year. He never amounted to anything more than a bench player in the NBA, and the Kings had missed on their scouting once more.
If you think the Kings missed out on Kawhi, imagine being the Pacers. They drafted him and then traded him away for George Hill. This would have never been the case if the Kings had just selected Leonard 7th as they should have. By 2014, Leonard was a Finals MVP with the San Antonio Spurs and then a back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year award winner in 2015 and 2016. He quickly became the best two-way wing in the NBA, taking the Raptors to their first franchise title in team history in 2019. It was clear the impact and skill level Kawhi brought to the team. The Kings wouldn’t know what that is even if it slapped them in the face.
Thomas Robinson (2012 NBA Draft) – 5th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Damian Lillard – 6th Overall Pick
After missing out on Stephen Curry in 2009, the Kings missed out on another generational point guard in 2012. The Kings decided to choose Thomas Robinson out of Kansas with the 5th overall pick and it turned out to be a huge mistake. Robinson wasn’t nearly the power forward they had thought they had drafted and was traded in February of his rookie season. He played for 6 teams in 5 seasons before retiring at age 25. He would finish with career averages of 4.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 0.6 APG.
Damian Lillard was taken with the 6th pick by the Portland Trail Blazers, where he has remained the past 9 seasons. That is a little bit of a tough pill to swallow for the Kings, as no matter how bad it has gotten, Lillard has remained loyal to his team. Dame has been a prolific scorer since his second season when he averaged 20.7 PPG. He has never dipped below that average since and has averaged 30.0 PPG once as well. He has made 6 All-Star Teams, and 6 All-NBA Teams, and is recognized as one of the best shooting point guards in basketball, right up there with Stephen Curry. If the Kings got just one of Curry or Lillard, this playoff drought doesn’t exist and the Kings may even be a dynasty at this point.
Nik Stauskas (2014 NBA Draft) – 8th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Zach LaVine – 13th Overall Pick
Let me get this straight. We could have had a lineup of Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, AND Zach LaVine by 2014-15? Man, Sacramento what are you doing? In 2014, the Kings decided that Nik Stauskas out of Michigan would be a better choice than LaVine out of UCLA. Stauskas would average 4.4 PPG in 73 games his rookie season and was shipped out that summer to Philadelphia. Things didn’t get much better in Philly, and Stauskas bounced around a bit before leaving to play in Spain. He made a return to both the Heat and Celtics in 2022 but it was more of the same mediocre production.
LaVine, on the other hand, has become a star in the NBA. He spent his first 4 seasons on average at best Timberwolves teams before moving on to Chicago 5 years ago. In the past 4 seasons, LaVine has turned into one of the best shooting guards in the league. He has averaged at least 23.0 PPG the past four seasons and has been an All-Star in both 2021 and 2022. He, along with the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, led the Bulls to the playoffs in 2022, their first playoff berth since 2017. Another abysmal miss by the Sacramento front office.
Willie Cauley-Stein (2015 NBA Draft) – 6th Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Devin Booker – 13th Overall Pick
Now don’t get me wrong, I understand why the Kings took Willie Cauley-Stein at 6th overall in 2014. Every team needs an athletic center, and the Kings didn’t have one while Willie Cauley-Stein was exactly that coming out of Kentucky. Cauley-Stein enjoyed some early success as he developed into a 12.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG type of player. After 4 seasons with the Kings, he opted to leave for the Warriors in 2019. Since leaving, he has made three different stops without finding a real place to call home.
It would be Cauley-Stein’s Kentucky teammate Devin Booker that would have been the much better choice for Sacramento. Hey, at least they got the school right. Booker has also evolved into a Top SG in the NBA out in Phoenix. Over the years, Booker has suffered some growing pains but is now a perennial All-Star and All-NBA talent. Since his second year, he has become a consistent 22.0 PPG scorer and has averaged over 25.0 PPG four times. He has been an All-Star the past 3 seasons and helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021. LaVine or Booker would be perfect right now alongside Fox and Sabonis.
Marvin Bagley III (2018 NBA Draft) – 2nd Overall Pick
Better Available Pick: Luka Doncic – 3rd Overall Pick
This is the one that currently really hurts the Kings. The team was just coming off of a 27-win season and finished toward the bottom of the Western Conference. To be fair, the Kings most likely felt safe at the guard position with guys like De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, so they didn’t consider drafting Doncic. Bagley was selected 2nd overall and has enjoyed 3 straight seasons of at least 14.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG. The problem is that he has barely been on the court with injury and tensions between him, coaches, and staff. Bagley was finally shipped out of Sac-Town in the 2021-22 season to the Pistons, much to the elation of Bagley and his family.
Bagley may find resurrection in the city of Detroit, but it will never come close to the impact Luka Doncic has had on the Dallas Mavericks. Over the past 4 seasons, Doncic has taken a franchise riddled with uncertainty after the retirement of Dirk Nowitzki to a serious Western Conference Contender. In 2021-22, Luka averaged 28.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 8.7 APG, his 3rd such season in a row. He led the Mavs to their first Western Conference Finals since 2011, where they fell to the eventual champion, the Golden State Warriors. Given Luka’s ability to maximize the success of some of these Mavericks teams, he would have been a difference maker in Sacramento as well.
Can The Sacramento Kings Break The Curse?
As it stands right now, the Sacramento Kings have not made a playoff appearance in 16 years. The Western Conference is loaded with talent and is home to the defending champion Golden State Warriors. This year, they drafted Keegan Murray out of Iowa who so far looks like he could be a serious Rookie of the Year contender. He is a pure scorer who can be effective from all three levels on offense. He is a great addition to the duo of Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. Is it enough to become a playoff contender, though?
The short answer is no. Along with their new draft class, the Kings are also welcoming in a new coach, Mike Brown. Now, Brown has NBA coaching experience as we all know, but it also takes a season or two for players to get used to his implemented system. I think you see them turn the corner in 2-3 years if everyone stays together. The Kings look like they have finally gotten it right on a draft pick, though, and that bodes well for their future. Given the Kings’ history, look for Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe to be future stars as well to keep the pattern going.
