The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, and the “experts” on the NBA are still shaking out the potential draft decisions.
Former Illini guard Keaton Wagler has been up and down in the mock drafts throughout the last few months. I believe the highest he rose was No. 5 in the draft, and the furthest he dropped was down to No. 8.
Regardless of what happens, Wagler will hear his name called in the first round on June 23. He is going to be a top 10 pick as well. But in the most recent mock draft coming out of Yahoo! by Kevin O’Connor, Wagler does see a little bump in his potential draft spot.
Wagler is now projected to go No. 7 to the Sacramento Kings. That is one spot better than the last mock draft, which had Wagler down to No. 8 to the Atlanta Hawks.
You see a jump in Wagler’s draft ranking and think that should be a good thing, right? Well, that isn’t the case here.
I would rather have Wagler drop to No. 8 than go at No. 7. No. 7 is a career land mine that Wagler needs to avoid stepping on.
The Kings are a nowhere franchise. They haven’t truly been relevant since the early 2000s. Those are the days when Peja Stojakovic, the dad of Wagler’s teammate Andrej Stojakovic, was an All-Star for the Kings.
So, when I see Wagler to the Kings, I cringe a little bit. That is one of the teams I want him to avoid. There aren’t a ton because just getting selected in the draft is a big deal, but Sacramento is a land mind for careers.
While the Sacramento Kings would be a bad landing spot for Keaton Wagler, the roster construction does make sense
I would hate for Wagler to land out in Sacramento, but if they do end up taking him, there is a solid chance he starts from day one and is one of the stars.
The Kings have zero point guard help right now. Russell Westbrook was their option for last season, but he is on an expiring contract. The rest of the guard situation is a bunch of No. 2 guards or wings.
Wagler could go into the Kings franchise and maybe settle things down. If he doesn’t get traded, Domantas Sabonis would be a nice one-two punch with Wagler. I believe Wagler could do some insane pick-and-rolls with Sabonis and really elevate his game.
I think the Kings would be a terrible land spot for Wagler, but if there is anything we know about the young Illinois star, it is that he can make any situation work. This kid is a cool customer and will succeed anywhere.
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