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What Will Sacramento Do At No. 2? Marvin Bagley III Is A ‘Near-Lock’

Marvin Bagley III, Duke, Basketball, NBA, Bagley
Mar 23, 2018; Omaha, NE, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Marvin Bagley III (35) handles the ball against Kansas Jayhawks guard Devonte' Graham (4) during the first half in the semifinals of the Midwest regional of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings seemed to luck into Luka Doncic when they landed the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, but the Kings appear inclined to go in a different direction. Per a new report, the Kings plan to pick Duke’s Marvin Bagley III.

The pick, in fact, is a “near-lock,” according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

Bagley worked out for the Kings last week. Some prospects have made it clear they would rather not play in Sacramento — who wants to go to a dysfunctional franchise? All indications are that Bagley, however, would be thrilled to join the Kings.

This report follows multiple reports that the Phoenix Suns are dead-set on selecting DeAndre Ayton with the No. 1 pick. So, with two days to go until the draft begins, we may already know the first two picks.

An all-but-certain destination isn’t the only thing Ayton and Bagley have in common. The two star freshmen, both of whom were finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award, have both signed with Puma’s re-birthed basketball division, the company announced Monday.

Bagley averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game at Duke. He posted an impressive Player Efficiency Rating of 30.6.

Doncic, meanwhile, continues to see his stock fall. Where will the Slovenian star’s slide end?

AFC North, Coach Rankings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens

Draft Details

The NBA Draft will kick off Thursday at 7 p.m. EST. Below is the full lottery order.

1. Phoenix
2. Sacramento
3. Atlanta
4. Memphis
5. Dallas
6. Orlando
7. Chicago
8. Cleveland
9. New York
10. Philadelphia
11. Charlotte
12. Los Angeles Clippers
13. Los Angeles Clippers

Expect plenty of moves on draft night. The Cavs, in particular, are a strong candidate to make a trade.

Given that Cleveland does not know where LeBron will sign, the Cavs are reportedly considering moves for Kawhi Leonard and Kemba Walker.

Written by Aaron Mansfield

Aaron Mansfield is a freelance sports writer. His work has appeared in Complex, USA Today and the New York Times. Mansfield is a PhD candidate at UMass Amherst.

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