Mocks say franchise PG still

Sports Illustrated's latest mock draft projects the Sacramento Kings could still land a franchise point guard despite a lottery slide. (si.com) In a lottery simulation, SI's Logan Struck dropped Sacramento to the seventh pick after noting the NBA Draft lottery is set for May 10, 2026. (si.com) Sactown Sports reported the Kings lost a coin‑flip tiebreaker to the Utah Jazz, which locked Sacramento into the 5th‑best lottery odds and left an 11.5% chance at No. 1 and a 45.2% chance to land in the top four. (sactownsports.com) Sactown warned that, because of the lottery’s volatility, the Kings could fall as far as the ninth pick if the balls bounce the wrong way. (sactownsports.com) Sacramento finished the 2025‑26 regular season 22‑60, a record that anchors its draft position and the franchise’s stated need for a primary ball‑handler to change course. (basketball-reference.com), (si.com) Even in Struck’s simulation at No. 7, he wrote the Kings could still "land a difference‑maker" and listed the draft’s top tiers — AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer — as the class’s headliners. (si.com), (si.com) Local coverage on The Matt & Kayla Show and Sactown articles highlighted other names the Kings could target if they stay high, including North Carolina big Caleb Wilson and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. as fits for different pick ranges. (sactownsports.com) Mocks are not unanimous: other recent simulations have pushed different teams — Bleacher Report ran a simulation where the Dallas Mavericks won the lottery — underscoring how projection outcomes vary by model. (bleacherreport.com) Kings fans and front‑office planners now wait for the May 10, 2026 lottery to resolve whether Sacramento keeps top‑four access or must pivot to landing a lead guard later in the first round. (si.com), (sactownsports.com)