How Marvin Bagley III’s decision helps the Kings

Marvin Bagley III has reclassified himself, forgoing his senior year of high school and jumping to play for the Duke Blue Devils in the coming season. This also means that Bagley will be eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft instead of the 2019 Draft, and that’s huge for the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings own their 2018 pick outright, and are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. They should end up with good lottery odds and a high pick. by contrast, the Kings 2019 pick was traded away in the disasterous deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 2018 Draft isn’t expected to be nearly as deep as this year’s draft was, but it will have some major talent at the top. Michael Porter Jr, Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, and Mohamed Bamba could all be in play for the top pick next summer. Bagley immediately inserts himself into the conversation.

No matter what pick the Kings end up, a strong top 5 is always better than a strong top 4. The more talent in a draft, the better. Bagley just did the Kings a big favor.