Third time might be the charm for Scott Perry.
The Kings’ general manager is expected to serve as Sacramento’s on-stage representative at the NBA draft lottery on May 10 in Chicago, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
History says Perry is due for a little luck, as Anderson noted.
He’s been in that chair twice before. Once with the Pistons in 2011. Once with the Knicks in 2018. Neither trip delivered a jump. Detroit slid to No. 8 and took Brandon Knight. New York stayed put at No. 9 and selected Kevin Knox II.
Now comes Round 3. And this one matters.
Sacramento enters with the fifth-best odds. There is a 45.2 percent chance of landing a top four pick and an 11.5 percent shot at No. 1. There is also a path to falling to No. 9. So yes, this could go a lot of ways.
And the Kings need it to go right.
This is a roster in transition and under pressure. Big money is tied up in veterans like Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, De’Andre Hunter and Malik Monk. The team is projected to be over the luxury tax and into second apron territory, per Anderson.
All that followed a 22-60 season. One of the worst in franchise history.
So yes, Perry could use a bounce.
The Kings’ lottery history is all over the place. They landed No. 1 back in 1989 and drafted Pervis Ellison. More recently, they have moved up to land names like Marvin Bagley III and Keegan Murray. They have also taken different routes to land De’Aaron Fox.
Point is, nothing is guaranteed.
What is clear is this: The upcoming draft is loaded. Prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer headline a class that many evaluators view as one of the best in years.
Which only raises the stakes.
So Perry is stepping to the podium again. This time, the Kings will be hoping the ping-pong balls finally bounce their way.
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