Sactown Scouting Report: Second-Round Guards To Consider

While all the focus has understandably been on their lottery pick, the Sacramento Kings have a chance to add other young talents in the 2026 NBA Draft thanks to their two second-round picks.

Look no further than last season, where Maxime Raynaud (42nd pick) and Dylan Cardwell (undrafted) carved out valuable roles in their disappointing 22-60 season. General manager Scott Perry also found some second-round gems during his time in the New York Knicks front office, with Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride as standout highlights.

Despite the large pool of guards expected to be strongly considered with their first rounder, Sacramento’s need for a point guard was apparent last season. Dennis Schroder was added in the offseason then traded mid-season.

Russell Westbrook made a notable difference after joining at the end of the preseason, and former lottery pick Killian Hayes was a necessary add later in the year. So, even if they select what they hope to be a franchise guard earlier in the draft, there could be a benefit to adding another with either the 34th or 45th pick.

Continuing the Sactown Scouting Report series that will lead up to the June 23rd Draft, here’s a look at a variety of guards they could consider in the second round.

(Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Ebuka Okorie (Freshman, Stanford)

• 23.2 points, 3.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds on 46/35/83 shooting

Most draft experts seem to believe that the 19-year-old true freshman could hear his name called toward the backend of the first round, but the same was said about Raynaud (a fellow Stanford product) before he went to the Kings at 42. With Raynaud gone, the Cardinals needed a primary scoring option, and Okorie stepped into that role.

Measuring in at 6’1.25″ without shoes at the combine, his stature doesn’t scream NBA player, but he certainly has the speed that more than meets the standard. Touching the paint and pressuring the rim is an essential part of bending defenses, and Okorie did that with the best of them, largely thanks to his lightning-quick first step.

Ebuka Okorie’s combination of speed, handle, low center of gravity, and contact balance is the best of any guard in the 2026 NBA Draft.

His skill set enables him to be one of the drivers in the class.

0.992 points per drive (19.4% frequency)
47.4 rim rate + 6.4 unassisted rim… https://t.co/3pSCXIcbGk pic.twitter.com/N8E8uqjenq

— Latif Love (@realLatifLove) May 17, 2026

But you don’t have eight games with 30+ points without being a true three-level threat, and Okorie appeared confident shooting from both the mid-range and beyond the arc. Shooting 35.4% from deep isn’t an overly impressive number, and inconsistencies were what held him back there.

The freshman guard attempted 5.7 per game, but it’s the multiple stinkers of performances that dragged down his rate. To call it an up-and-down season would be underselling it.

Against California, Okorie went 1/16 from the field and 0/9 from three but 12/14 on free throws. Then there were games like the 40-point performance he had against Virginia Tech, going 12/21 from the field and 3/6 from deep.

A good, but not great finisher (56.2%), he showed promising touch with both hands but was prone to taking ill-advised attempts. He’s someone teams would be betting on for his downhill threat, causing problems for the opposition, despite a 0.8 AST/TO ratio and a 30.1% usage rate, which shows he was out there to get buckets.

The smaller frame also doesn’t bode well for the defensive end of the floor, but with an elite ability and some dynamite games, he is an intriguing prospect.

(Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

Ryan Conwell (Senior, Louisville)

• 18.8 points,2.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds on 40/34/83 shooting

Okorie is an advantage creator, but Conwell projects as more of a play finisher thanks to his stellar three-point shooting. The 22-year-old played for South Florida, Indiana State, and Xavier before joining Louisville for the 2025-26 season.

In his sophomore and junior campaigns, 6’2″ (without shoes) guard converted more than 40% of his long-range looks, attempting 7.1 per game in each of those seasons. That jumped up to 9.6 attempts a night for the Cardinals, and even though his percentage dropped to 34.5%, his ability to knock down that quick lefty jumper could be enough to make him stick at the NBA level.

Ryan Conwell put on a show at the NBA Draft Combine. 5/8 from three, 21 points in the scrimmage. The Louisville guard made the scouts take notice. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/E8oQw4xk39

— 35KYSports (@35KYSportsMedia) May 14, 2026

Conwell displayed deep range and didn’t seem bothered by a hand in his face. With good footwork on his gather, there wasn’t a great sample of movement triples, but enough to wonder if that could become a more important part of his game.

Everything else is offensively centered around the shooting. Not equipped with a standout handle or touch around the basket, he was still able to attack closeouts or cut backdoor if defenders tried to deny his long ball.

Defensively, his 6’7″ wingspan and 214-pound frame allowed him to hold his own and make a decent impact on that end of the floor. Talling just over a steal per game at Louisville, the Indianapolis native has the potential to be a play-finisher and 3&D addition to a team.

Add in good rebounding numbers for a guard and a solid motor, and you can start to see the outline of a decent role player.

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Jaden Bradley (Senior, Arizona)

• 13.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds on 46/39/80 shooting

Bradley (6’2.5″ without shoes) is another four-year collegiate player, spending his freshman season at Alabama before three straight years with the seemingly always competitive Arizona Wildcasts. He started every game of his junior and senior seasons, adding to the game in a wide variety of ways, even if he doesn’t have a clear elite skill like the other two prospects mentioned.

Playing with great physicality at 205 pounds, he had a clear offensive preference of getting downhill, as 31% of his half-court looks came at the rim, per Synergy. Often utilizing basic, yet effective moves to find his way to the paint before finishing through players, he converted 51.6 percent of his looks at the rim last season.

While not a manipulative distributor, Bradley often made the right reads and was a key cog in orchestrating one of the most talented teams in the nation. His 2.5 AST/TOV ratio speaks to a low-risk style of play that sets up teammates.

Shooting feels more like an uncertainty, however. The Rochester native did convert 39.4% from three last season, but attempted just 1.7 per game and clearly didn’t prefer those looks over attacking the basket.

Defensively, where Arizona as a team made its money, he earned Big 12 All-Defensive honors. Being a pesky, smart, physical player went a long way, but how much his height and 6’6″ wingspan could limit his versatility at the next level.

Being a Swiss Army Knife earned him the 2025-26 Big 12 Player of the Year, and those types of players can carve out an NBA role.

(Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

Andrej Stojakovic (Junior, Illinois)

• 13.5 points, 1.0 assist, 4.5 rebounds on 50/24/80 shooting

If there’s one thing the Kings have shown they love, it’s anyone with a connection to their late 2000s success. Andrej, son of Peja, grew up in the Sacramento area and attended Jesuit High School. After spending his freshman season with Stanford, he then transferred to California before landing in Illinois for his junior campaign. He played a smaller role than he did at Cal, but was able to participate in more meaningful games on a talented team led by future lottery pick Keaton Wagler.

Get the idea of Peja’s playstyle out of your mind when thinking about his son. Stojakovic was a subpar three-point shooter (20/82) but an impressive at-the-rim athlete, as evidenced by his 41.5-inch vertical at the combine.

Pair that with an impressive touch and a 6’5.5″ (without shoes) frame, and the nearly 22-year-old managed to convert an absurd 65.7 % at the rim. Maybe that would’ve made him a better fit for the second-round wings, but oh well.

Able to put the ball on the deck and pressure the rim before finishing with either hand, there’s an intriguing self-creation ability that exists. But it’s very much still potential rather than reality at this point when it comes to his NBA projection.

There’s also the reality of recording more turnovers (44) than assists (34) last season. Defensively, it’s also more about the tools than film at this point.

Converting 80.5% of 128 free-throw attempts at Illinois and displaying some craftiness in the mid-range, the archetype is intriguing but unfinished. Stojakovic entered his name into the draft while maintaining his final year of collegiate eligibility. Given the remaining clear flaws in his game (and NIL paychecks), it wouldn’t be surprising if he were simply using the opportunity to speak with teams before heading back for one more year of NCAA hoops.

More Sactown Scouting Reports

• The Pace, Poise, and Playmaking of Kingston Flemings
• Sactown Scouting Report: The Star-Swing Case for Darius Acuff Jr.

Sactown Scouting Report: The Star-Swing Case for Darius Acuff Jr.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

• Tuesday, June 23rd – NBA Draft (Round 1)
• Wednesday, June 24th – 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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