The style of play in the postseason should be encouraging for the Kings

Allen Stiles outlined why he believes the NBA postseason should be encouraging for the Sacramento Kings, specifically their upcoming lottery pick.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

May 5, 2026, 6:53 PM Updated: 6:57 pm

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Watch: Why the 2026 NBA Playoffs Should Make Kings Fans Encouraged going into the NBA Draft | 8 mins

“All of the remaining teams have at least one high usage guard. In some of those situations, that player is a franchise player. In other situations, maybe they’re not, but they’re still a very important piece.”

On Tuesday’s edition of The Drive Guys, Allen Stiles shared with Kevin “Whitey” Gleason why he believes the Sacramento Kings should be encouraged by teams remaining in the NBA postseason race.

Between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Cade Cunningham, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, and Tyrese Maxey, there are dynamic on-ball creators on every team competing in the conference semifinals.

So, where can the Kings’ general manager, Scott Perry, find that type of talent? That’s where owning the fifth-best odds in the upcoming 2026 Draft Lottery, which cannot fall further than ninth, comes into play.

“You discuss how good this draft is supposed to be,” Stiles said. “You look around, and you think, I mean, the Kings should leave with possibly a franchise-changing player, or at the very least a franchise guard.”

Of course, ending up in the top four would be an ideal scenario where lead ball handlers like AJ Dybansta and Darryn Peterson could be available. Even Duke’s Cameron Boozer projects to be an offensive hub at 6’9, somewhat comparable to Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, albeit they were eliminated from the first round in a hard-fought seven-game series.

Caleb Wilson may not quite fit the mold Stiles is outlining, but adding his versatile two-way skillset would still be a win. After that, the top four is where you start to reach the potential “franchise guard” territory with players such as Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr., Brayden Burries, and Mikel Brown Jr.

Gleason asked how his co-host would rank the potential guards, specifically in terms of their fit in Sacramento. “I would go Darryn Peterson one,” Stiles responded. “I would go Keaton Wagler two… I would go Acuff three, and I would go Kingston Flemings four. It’s tough because of the injury, but I do wonder about Mikel Brown Jr. at 6’5″. Brayden Burries at 6’4″. I like that.”

So, while the Kings would still have plenty of roster construction flaws to iron out in the coming seasons, the playoffs are once again proving the importance of having a lead ball handler running the show, and Sacramento could add that type of talent no matter where they fall in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.

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.

Click here for full episodes of The Drive Guys.

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