Notable Late-1st Round Sacramento Kings Draft Picks

Jun 16, 2023, 1:58 PM

SACRAMENTO , CA - NOVEMBER 08: Kevin Martin #23 of the Sacramento Kings rebounds the ball over the ...

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Editor & Kings Beat Writer

We are less than one week away from June 22nd’s NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York!

After drafting All-Rookie First Team forward Keegan Murray with the fourth-overall pick last summer, the Sacramento Kings will look to build off of its recent draft success by adding another young talent to its up-and-coming roster with the 24th overall selection in Thursday’s draft.

Can Sacramento find an impact player at 24th? They’ve found some gems near the end of the first round before.

Here are some notable former late-first-round picks that the Kings have drafted over the years:

Anthony Bonner | 23rd pick (1990) | PF

Bonner was a late-first-round pick (23rd overall), but the forward made an impact during his time in Sacramento.

Over three seasons with the Kings, the Saint Louis product averaged 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the field over 183 games (59 starts).

Gerald Wallace | 25th pick (2001) | SF/PF

Kings fans remember Gerald Wallace well.

The 6’7 forward spent three seasons with Sacramento from 2001-2004 before being picked up by the recently formed Charlotte Hornets in the 2004 NBA expansion draft.

While Wallace was a young talent playing behind Chris Webber and Brad Miller while with the Kings, the athletic wing turned into an All-Star, averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game over his next six seasons.

Kevin Martin | 26th pick (2004) | SG

Sacramento struck gold during the 2004 NBA Draft when they selected high-scoring guard Kevin Martin out of Western Carolina University.

Martin became one of the league’s best scorers during the 2006-20011 seasons while with the Kings, averaging 22.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 38 percent from three-point range.

During his second season with Sacramento, Martin delivered one of the most prolific moments in franchise history when he delivered a game-winning, buzzer-beating lay-in to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Playoffs.

Francisco Garcia | 23rd pick (2005) | SF

‘Cisco was an integral part of the 2005-12 Kings teams, averaging 8.3 points per game while shooting 36 percent from beyond the three-point line over 462 appearances with Sacramento.

Garcia’s 475 made three-point field goals rank seventh in Sacramento Kings franchise history.

Omri Casspi | 23rd pick (2009) | SF

Casspi was the second leg of a successful 2009 NBA Draft class for the Kings that included fourth-overall pick and eventual Rookie of the Year winner Tyreke Evans.

During two stints with Sacramento (2009-11 and 2014-17), Casspi was a serviceable forward, playing both small and power forward positions while averaging 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game to go along with 45/38/68 shooting splits.