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Would Kingston Flemings change the trajectory of the Kings?

If the Sacramento Kings ended up with the seventh overall pick, could Kingston Flemings help change their franchise trajectory?

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Owning the fifth-best odds headed into the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, the Sacramento Kings’ most likely outcome (25.5 percent) is ending up with the seventh overall pick and selecting Houston guard Kingston Flemings.

Next would be an 18.2 percent chance at the sixth overall pick, but they’re likely holding out hope for the 45.2 percent chance at any of the top four picks, including an 11.5 percent chance at first overall.

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Sam Vecenie, NBA Draft expert for The Athletic, recently released a mock draft following a lottery simulation that had Sacramento at seventh. In his mock, A.J. Dybansta, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Keaton Wagler, and Darius Acuff Jr. were off the board before the Kings were on the hypothetical clock.

Kevin “Whitey” Gleason and Allen Stiles discussed Vecenie’s decision to take Kingston Flemings for the Kings at seventh, along with what they would do in that scenario.

“I mean, once you get down to seventh, are Kings fans gonna be mad about anybody?” Stiles said. “If you’re picking seventh, you’ve already lost. If you’re a Kings fan, you would feel like they’ve already lost.”

To his point, there’s a clear top four in this draft and seemingly even two standout names within that tier. Dybansta and Peterson seem to be at the top, with Boozer and Wilson often projected right behind them.

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But Flemings is far from a slouch, and could easily be viewed as a top-five talent if his class were not as strong at the top as it is. In 37 games played with the Houston Cougars during his freshman season, the 6’4 guard averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Vecenie described him as “a wildly explosive and powerful lead guard, using a lightning-quick first step to get by defenders with ease.” Sound familiar to Sacramento’s previous franchise point guard in De’Aaron Fox?

While, as Stiles said, landing the seventh pick in the lottery would be disappointing, securing a potential franchise point guard would be a step in the right direction.

“I’ve struggled with Kingston Flemings this whole time,” Stiles continued. “Just trying to figure out what it is that I’m excited about when I watch him?”

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 12: Kingston Flemings #4 of the Houston Cougars celebrates against the BYU Cougars in the second half during the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center on March 12, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.  (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Gleason had some concerns about the Houston prospect as well, noting the 51.2 percent he shot at the rim in the halfcourt. But who else should general manager Scott Perry consider in that scenario?

As Vecenie’s mock continued, the next names off the board were Brayden Burries, Aday Mara, Mikel Brown Jr., Yaxel Lendebord, and Nate Ament.

That led The Drive Guys to question whether using other assets to trade up in the draft would be the most beneficial.

The reality is, any player picked seventh will have flaws. Even consensus top-three players like Peterson and Boozer aren’t without their warts. Either way, the Kings need to continue to add to their young talents with upside, and while Kingston Flemings wouldn’t steal the show like some others, he’d be a promising addition to their organization.

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Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.

Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

When is the next Sacramento Kings offseason date of interest?

The Sacramento Kings will now look ahead to the highly anticipated NBA Draft Lottery, which is set for Sunday, May 10th.

Sacramento hasn’t secured the top pick in the NBA Draft since 1989, when it selected center Pervis Ellison with the first overall selection.

Be sure to stay locked in to Sactown Sports 1140 all offseason for NBA Draft Lottery coverage, NBA Draft previews and analysis, NBA Summer League content, and MUCH more!

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

  • Sunday, May 10th – NBA Draft Lottery
  • Thursday, June 4th– NBA Finals begin
  • Thursday, June 25th – NBA Draft (Round 1)
  • Friday, June 26th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
  • Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
  • Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
  • Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official

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Brenden Nunes Sactown Sports writer

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