With the worst record in the NBA this season (12-44), the Sacramento Kings are hoping the 2026 NBA Draft will change their franchise’s fortunes. There are three top-tier talents most evaluators have their eyes on in the class: Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer.
Of course, they would need luck in the lottery to come into play, as even though they are in a three-way tie for the odds of coming away with the number one overall pick (14 percent), their most likely outcome is selecting at 5th, with a 47 percent chance.9 percent chance of that being the case.
But, say there were to end up with the first overall selection, who should they take? Most consider Peterson, the Kansas guard, to be the best talent in the draft but he’s regularly either missed games entirely or ended up sitting in the second half of the action.
On Tuesday’s edition of The Drive Guys with Allen Stiles and Kevin “Whitey” Gleason, they debated whether that should give Sacramento general manager Scotty Perry pause when evaluating their individual draft board.
“He’s got to answer this stuff,” Stiles said of Peterson’s availability issues. “This stuff being real doens’t necessarily help him.”
In the 14 games the star freshman has played this season, he’s averaged 19.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the field. Not to mention his exceptional 41.3 percent from three on 6.6 attempts per game.
While he’s had 6 games with 20 or more points, his worst came in their most recent game against Iowa State, the 6th-ranked team in the nation. In 24 minutes, Peterson logged just 10 points on 3/10 shooting. He also had zero assists on the night, begging The Drive Guys to question his ability as a playmaker given his low mark in that category all season long.
“When I first saw Darren Peterson, I said, What if he’s Bradley Beal?” Stiles asked. “What do we do with that? Bradley Beal had a good career, but when you’re looking at the other guys in this group. That’s what scares me about these kinds of scoring guards. They’re great, but how many are going to be like Anthony Edwards? That’s what has always scared me about Darryn Peterson, before the injury stuff, and before the idea that he was missing games and trying to preserve his body or whatever it is, that’s just not where the league is, unless you are that dude.”
Peterson’s talent is undeniable, but should his lack of availability and consistent assist numbers during his long college career make the Kings (or other teams) lean toward the likes of BYU’s Dybansta or Duke’s Boozer?
Caleb Wilson, a two-way freshman out of North Carolina, has also turned some heads. Where does he factor into the equation?
Check out the full conversation with The Drive Guys by scrolling to the top of the page or by clicking here.
Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will return from the All-Star break on Thursday, February 19th, and face the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center.
Last season, Orlando swept the season series vs. Sacramento (2-0).
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Orlando Magic action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 7:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
- Thursday, February 19th vs. Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM PT
- Saturday, February 21st @ San Antonio Spurs – 5:00 PM PT
- Monday, February 23rd @ Memphis Grizzlies – 5:00 PM PT
- Wednesday, February 25th – @ Houston Rockets – 5:00 PM PT
- Thursday, February 26th @ Dallas Mavericks – 5:30 PM PT
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