Kings set to bring Duke's Rodney Hood in for pre-draft workout

The Sacramento Kings will bring in six players for a pre-draft workout on Saturday and Duke's Rodney Hood will be the showcase.

Hood is a 6'8'', 215-pound small forward known for his outside shooting (46 percent from the field and 42 percent from three in his 35 games with Duke). He averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. His defense is often called into question, however, and he will need to bulk up to compete in the NBA (although at 6'8'' he is able to see over defenders).

Hood is the only player in the workout expected to be taken in the first round - he is going anywhere from 13 to 23 in mock drafts, but typically in the mid teens.

The other players coming in for the workout include forward Kyle Casey (Harvard); forward Jarell Eddie (Virginia Tech); forward C.J. Fair (Syracuse); guard Joe Jackson (Memphis); and local product Xavier Thames, who attended Pleasant Grove High School before playing guard at San Diego State. All of these players are expected to be second-round material/undrafted.

The Kings worked out Marcus Smart and Noah Vonleh on June 2, as well as Tyler Ennis (another player expected to be drafted mid first round.) Coincidentally, Chad Ford mentioned in an ESPN SportsNation chat session that the Atlanta Hawks have contacted the Kings about being interested in the 8th pick. If the Kings were to work out a deal with the Hawks and swapped the 8th pick for the 15th pick, there is a good chance that Hood and/or Ennis would be available. There would obviously need to be other pieces in play for such a trade to happen though. The Kings still continue to be tied to Hawks guard Dennis Schröder as well. So there is that.

In his chat, Ford also mentions the Kings and guard Brandon Knight and center Larry Sanders. Knight is a third-year man who averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Bucks last season. Sanders is the type of defensive presence the Kings are looking for, averaging 1.9 blocks over his four-year career with Milwaukee. However, due to a torn ligament in his thumb suffered in a night club brawl early in the season and a fractured orbital bone later in the season, Sanders only played in 23 games in 2013-14.

Oh, the rumor mill. (A lot of speculation, as Akis notes.)

We'll have more information on Hood following his workout this weekend.