Sacramento Kings Tab Marvin Bagley III With No. 2 Selection, Says He Is "Still Best Player"
Luka Doncic Picked No. 3 By Atlanta Hawks
Marvin Bagley III worked out for the Sacramento Kings on June 11. Ten days later the team takes him with the No.2 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Sacramento, Calif. Publicity Agents photo art (taken June 11, 2018) by T. Ray Harvey. June 21, 2018.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Sacramento, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings drafted 6-foot-11, 234-pound freshman center Marvin Bagley III out of Duke University with the No.2 selection, overall.
Before the draft, 19-year-old Bagley said he was the “best player in the draft,” and following his selection by the Kings, he still stands by his words. Sacramento is the team he’ll be able to show the rest of the league just what that means.
“That’s the type of player I am,” Bagley said of not going No. 1. “I am going to have confidence in my game and I still think I’m the best player in the draft. I stand by that. I put a lot of work into it. I’m glad I’ll be able to show it with Sacramento.”
Bagley spent his lone season in a Blue Devil uniform to average 21.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He was a consensus First Team All-American for 2017-2018 campaign and named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
Bagley was one of four Division I players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds last season, the first to do it since Mike Gminski did it as a Blue Devil in 1979-1980. Bagley worked out for the Kings on June 11. But he said he was more concerned about the audition and did not want to be overconfident.
“I wasn’t too confident in any workout that I did,” Bagley said. “To me, this whole process, I was trying to have an open mind. Anything could happen. I’m just thankful I ended up with Sacramento.”
The Kings picked No. 2 for the third time in the common era of the NBA Draft, 1966-present. The Kansas City Kings previously selected Otis Birdsong in 1977 and Phil Ford in 1978 with the No.2 picks.
No surprise, but Arizona’s center Deandre Ayton was taken with the No. 1 pick by the Phoenix Suns. Luka Doncic, the players most Kings fans coveted, was drafted third overall and went to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks and Dallas Mavericks swapped picks. The Mavericks picked Trae Young with the fifth pick to send him to Atlanta while Doncic goes to Atlanta. Sacramento Kings Vice President of Basketball Operations indicated that the team had its eye on three or four players in the draft.
“It’s obvious Marvin is an elite talent in this draft, great player, somebody who plays multiple positions, and a double-double guy. He checks all the boxes,” Divac said. “We were focusing on three or four players all year long. Lately, we zeroed in on Marvin. He came here (to workout) and we fell in love with him.”
PUBLIC INFORMATION:
The Marvin Bagley Report
One of only three players in ACC history to lead the conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, joining Clemson’s Horace Grant (1986-87) and Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan (1996-97).
19 year-old freshman earned 2017-18 First Team All-American honors and was a finalist for the Wooden Award, Naismith and Oscar Robertson Trophies.
Max vertical of 40.5 inches (best at his position).
More 30-point, 15-rebound games than anyone in college last season.
Kings Make A Trade
The Sacramento Kings picked shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. with the 37 pick in the second round. The team turned around and traded Trent to Portland for two second round picks in the future.
NBA Draft Top 10
Phoenix, Deandre Ayton
KINGS, Marvin Bagley III
Atlanta (Dallas), Luka Doncic
Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Dallas, Trae Young
Orlando, Mo Bamba
Chicago, Wendell Carter Jr.
Boston, Collins Sexton
New York Knicks, Kevin Knox
Phoenix, Mikal Bridges
By T. Ray Harvey | PA Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist
Twitter: Tony Ray Harvey @PublicityAgents
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.
Journalism Today
Journalism Tomorrow
Journalism Forever
