2017 NBA DRAFT NEWSROOM: Sacramento Kings Get De'Aaron Fox At No. 5, Add More Young Players To R
Duke freshman Harry Giles still has a lot of upside despite two knee surgeries. His potential was enough for the Sacramento Kings to take him at No. 20 in the 2017 NBA Draft.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Sacramento, Calif. –The Sacramento Kings got their man at No. 5 in De’Aaron Fox, and in return, the point guard from Kentucky was selected by the organization he wanted to be with all along.
But the moves the Kings made in the draft following the pick up of Fox were just as intriguing for a hungry team and fans in need of some serious rebuilding. The Kings’ roster will feature a bevy of young players to start the 2017-2018 season.
The Kings also picked up the 15th and 20th picks in the NBA 2017 Draft, the only team to have three Top 20 selections. The Kings, in principle, traded the No. 10 pick, Zac Collins, to the Portland Trail Blazers for those selections.
At No. 15, The Kings will get small forward Justin Jackson from North Carolina Tar Heels, who just won a national championship. It didn’t matter that power forward Harry Giles tore his ACL in both knees within three years. The Kings took him at No. 20 based on his potential.
A 6-foot-4, 187 pounds player from New Orleans, La., Fox was basically a no-brainer for the Kings, who luckily moved up to the fifth position in the lottery. He was the fifth-straight freshman drafted.
“I feel like I’m able to turn the franchise around,” Fox said after he was selected at Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. “Of course it’s going to take some time. Every franchise takes time when they are hitting their bumps in the road. Out of every team, the Kings fans showed me the most love.”
De'Aaron Fox
Fox averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 points as a freshman for the Kentucky Wildcats. Jackson, 6-8, 200 pounds, averaged 18.3, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists as a junior for North Carolina.
Giles sat out his first 11 games in 2016-2017 for the Blue Devils after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last October. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.5 minutes in 26 games as a freshman.
Giles, 6-10 and 240 pounds, was a consensus No. 1 overall prospect by the Recruiting Services Consensus Index before stepping on Duke’s campus. The question is going to be whether his knees can withstand the pounding in the NBA.
Justin Jackson
In the second round, the Kings selected Kansas point guard Frank Mason III at No. 34, a player the team brought in twice for draft workouts. Mason, 6-0 and 190 pounds was a juggernaut for the Jayhawks averaging 20.9, 5.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.
“Us getting Justin Jackson, one of my brothers, and Harry Giles, another close friend, I feel like we can work together and try to make something special,” Fox said. “I feel like we can grow together. Of course it’s going to take some time. But every franchise take time when they are hitting their bumps in the road.”
MARKELLE FULTZ (Washington), PG, Philadelphia 76ers; 2. LONZO BALL (UCLA), pg, Los Angeles Lakers; 3. JAYSON TATUM (Duke), SF, Boston Celtics; Josh Jackson (Kansas), SF, 4. Phoenix Suns; 5. DE’AARON FOX (Kentucky), PG, KINGS; 6. JONATHAN ISAAC (FLORIDA STATE), SF, ORLANDO MAGIC; 7. LAURI MARKKANEN (ARIZONA), PF, MINNESOTA; 8. FRANK NTILIKINA (FRANCE), PG, New York Knicks; 9. DENNIS SMITH JR. (North Carolina State, PG; 10. ZACH COLLINS (Gonzaga), PF, KINGS.
SACRAMENTO TALENT IN THE NBA
Michigan power forward D.J. Wilson, who played for Capital Christian, was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 17th pick in the first round.
By T. Ray Harvey | PA Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist
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T. Ray (Antonio) Harvey is a Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist for Publicity Agents. Harvey is also the author of The HOMICIDAL HANDYMAN OF OAK PARK: MORRIS SOLOMON JR.
