The Kings have traded their draft pick. Just not their first-round draft pick.
The Sacramento Kings have traded a draft pick… just not the one everyone was expecting them to move. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, they’re moving their second-rounder to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and getting the draft rights to Euroleague first-teamer Sasha Vezenkov in return.
The Cavaliers have four picks in tonight’s draft now: 14, 39, 49 and 56.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2022
Vezenkov, 26, has played for Olympiacos for the last four seasons. In the 2021-22 campaign, he averaged 14.4 points on 54.7% shooting, according to RealGM.
It is currently unknown whether or not Vezenkov will come over and join the Kings this season, or ever, but considering that the Kings are also getting cash in the deal, this may just be a simple sale of a second-round pick they didn’t want to roster.
#Cavs are also sending $1.75 million in cash along with the draft rights Sasha Vezenkov to Sacramento for the 49th pick in tonight’s draft, sources tell @clevelanddotcom
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) June 23, 2022
This now leaves Sacramento with the coveted No. 4 pick as well as the No. 37 pick near the end of the first round, while Cleveland holds rights to the 14th, 39th, 49th and 56th picks tonight.
Although an unfamilar name to the Kingdom, Vezenkov has carved an illustrious career in the EuroLeague; garnering an MVP title in 2015 as well as retaining the title of Greek League champion and All-EuroLeague First Team in this last season. The 6-foot-9 Bulgarian national team product boasts a consistent shooting stroke that the Kings have desperately been searching for since the exit of Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton.
Will the 26-year old rookie join Sacramento this season? Trading a tail-end first round pick for the rights to an overseas player feels somewhat difficult to read from the current landscape of the front office, but more will come to light as the following days unfold and the roster begins to firm up. Most recently, the Kings welcomed a 25-year-old rookie in Bogdan Bogdanovic — who quickly became a crowd favorite and valuable asset.