Kings select Tyrese Haliburton with No. 12 overall pick in 2020 NBA Draft

The Sacramento Kings had the 12th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and selected Iowa State G Tyrese Haliburton on Wednesday night virtually from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. The Kings fizzled out in the Orlando Bubble and finished last season with a 31-41 record and are hoping to be more competitive this time around.

De’Aaron Fox is the heart of Sacramento’s team but there’s no telling who will play alongside him in the backcourt next season. The Kings had thought they had a sign-and-trade with the Bucks involving Bogdan Bogdanovic, but reports shot that down before the draft on Wednesday. It seems a deal was never in place and Bogdanovic is expected to test the open market in restricted free agency. So the Kings are bringing in Haliburton as a potential replacement.

First-round Pick Analysis

Haliburton was projected within the top-10 of multiple mock drafts but ended up falling to the Kings. The former Iowa State standout had a sophomore season in Ames, where he averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.9 rebounds in 36.7 minutes per game. The 6-foot-5 guard also shot 50.4 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range on 5.6 attempts per game.

Haliburton is joining a Kings team that already has its starting point guard spot locked up in De’Aaron Fox. However, with his playmaking ability, shooting, and size, Haliburton could easily be playing beside Fox in the backcourt this upcoming season. Also, as previously mentioned, the Kings restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic will be testing free agency and there’s uncertainty surrounding Buddy Hield’s future.