Ping Pong Balls Finally Bounce in Kings Favor

On a night that former Kings owner, Gregg Lukenbill, along with hundreds of Kings fans were celebrating the team's history at Golden 1 Center, the NBA Draft Lottery took place across the country in New York City. The Kings were represented by second-year coach, Dave Joerger. The Kings went into the lottery-projected to be picking eighth and tenth. As we all know, the team acquired the second first round pick in the DeMarcus Cousins trade from New Orleans.

It's been a very long time since the Kings made the playoffs. The franchise hasn't been to the postseason since the 2005-06 season when they were led by the likes of Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, and Metta World Peace (Formerly Known as Ron Artest). Therefore, they've been participants in the Draft Lottery since 2007. In the last decade of being in the lottery, the Kings have found no luck. Even when they were the worst team in the NBA in 2009, and had the best odds to win the top pick, they fell to the worst position possible, which was fourth. According to RealGM, despite being in the lottery the last 10 years, the Kings never moved up, only dropped, a total of five times.

So what was going to make this year different? Yes, the Kings were projected to have two top ten picks, but conditions due to previous trades could have left the team with no picks in one of the most talented draft classes to date. The J.J. Hickson trade from 2011 still hung over the Kings' heads. The previous regime traded a top-10 protected first round pick, but the Kings have been so abysmal over the last decade that their first round pick never fell out of their grasp. This was the last year that the pick could be taken from the Kings, but only if it fell out of the top 10. In 2015, one of Vlade Divac's first moves was to clear cap-space. The team wanted to push for the eighth seed and the playoffs, and in order to do so, had to clear some bad contracts from their payroll to sign free agents. The Kings traded underwhelming rookie Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, and Jason Thompson to the Sixers, along with a future top-10 protected first-round pick, and the right to swap two future first-round picks. Finally, the first-round pick Sacramento received from New Orleans this year in the Cousins trade, was Top 3 protected. So if the lottery gods really wanted to hurt the Kings future, this was the year.

The tenth pick is where the first chip fell. The Pelicans pick was projected to either fall at 10, 11, or 12. If the Pelicans pick was not tenth, that means it fell into the Top 3 and New Orleans would keep the pick.

Luckily, on this particular evening, the lottery gods would bless the Sacramento Kings for the first time since 1989. If you're like me, you weren't alive in 1989. So what did happen in 1989? The Kings won the lottery! Who owned the Kings back then? Gregg Lukenbill! I find it very ironic that on the night that Gregg Lukenbill threw an event celebrating the Kings history, that the team's luck would finally change after being in the lottery for the eleventh straight year. But that was only the first chip to fall, next was the Kings keeping their own pick. As I stated earlier, the pick was slated to be in the eighth position. So when the eighth pick rolled around, and it was the New York Knicks, the Golden 1 Center erupted (Mainly from me and my boy Keith Jouganatos). The Kings not only kept the Pelicans pick, but were moving on up in the lottery for the first time since 1989.

The Kings pick ended up being third overall, but due to the cap-space clearing deal made by Vlade a couple years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers had the right to swap picks with the Kings. The Sixers pick was two spots lower than Sacramento at five, so they did indeed swap picks.

Former King Nik Stauskas poked fun at the Kings having to swap picks with his current team, the Sixers. What Nik doesn't realize is that third overall pick will probably be his replacement in Philly, especially if they draft Josh Jackson from Kansas.

When you think about it, if one of the scenarios had to take place, it was the best case scenario that it happened to be the pick swap. The Kings only moved back two picks and were able to keep their other pick. The lottery gods finally blessed the Kings, and that is why I'm a firm believer that this team is FINALLY going in their right direction with a set plan in place.

So what will Sacramento do with the fifth and tenth picks? Before the lottery, many Kings fans wanted Kentucky's point guard, De'Aaron Fox. But thinking realistically, Kings fans knew it would be unlikely for him to fall to the eighth pick with teams like the Lakers, 76ers, and Knicks (Who are also in need of a point guard) projected to pick before us. That narrative completely changed when the Kings moved up. Now De'Aaron Fox is highly likely to become a Sacramento King, and he tweeted the same emoji as Kings, Buddy Hield, about 45 minutes after him. Coincidence? I think not.

According to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper, the interest between Fox and the Kings is mutual.

The Kings have two main needs that they need to address in this year's draft. The team needs a point guard and a small forward. Ever since the departure of Isaiah Thomas, the team has needed a point guard. They tried to put a patch on this situation by signing Darren Collison, but as great of a locker room guy he is, he isn't your point guard of the future. I might add that both he and Ty Lawson are free agents this summer. So a point guard is the main need. But the Kings also need to address the small forward position. With the inevitable departure of Rudy Gay this summer, the position needs to be filled. The tenth pick is most likely where this position will be filled.

I made a list of players who I'd like to see the Kings pick next month. In a best case scenario, the Kings draft Fox at five and Florida State's Jonathan Isaac at 10, but that's honestly in a perfect world. Point guards that the Kings could draft if Fox is gone include UCLA's Lonzo Ball, Washington's Markelle Fultz, North Carolina State's Dennis Smith, and Frank Ntilkina from France. I am very high on Lonzo Ball and would be ecstatic if the Kings drafted him, but he'll probably stay home and become a Laker, unless his dad, Lavar, scares them off. When it comes to small forwards, Kansas' Josh Jackson and Duke's Jason Tatum will likely be off the board by the tenth pick. If Isaac isn't available at 10, the Kings may look at North Carolina's Justin Jackson. Other players that the Kings may consider who wouldn't fill their two main needs include Arizona's Lauri Markkanen and UCLA's T.J. Leaf.

This is one of the most important NBA drafts in Kings franchise history. Management knows if they select the wrong players, it could set the team back another five years. The made a monumental trade when they shipped DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans. The new direction aimed to "Change the Culture" as Vlade made adamant, and if they select the wrong guys, that will all have been a waste.

As a Kings fan, I am confident in the Kings brass. This offseason, they added Scott Perry, a well-respected executive who has plenty of experience around the league. Perry was the one who arranged a meeting between the Kings and top prospect Markelle Fultz and ensured that the Kings would be the first franchise to speak with him. Perry, along with Vlade, Peja, and Ken are working tirelessly this offseason to change their image around the league. The team's perception is important, especially when July rolls around and they have to try and lure free agents to Sacramento. Until then, the focus will be on the NBA draft. This has gotta be the most important draft in Kings history, they better not mess this up.