The annual NBA Draft Combine took place in Chicago last week, allowing teams around the Association to meet with potential draft picks and see the players in action.
While there is a physical aspect to the Combine, with prospects running through various drills and measuring their athletic capabilities, there is also a mental component that involves interviewing with team officials.
The Kings front office staff was in attendance and conducted these interviews with several prospects, a number of whom expressed positive feedback about the experience with Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Standout Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox, for one, especially enjoyed meeting Kings Vice President of Player Personnel & Development Peja Stojakovic.
“I was a huge fan and knowing (Stojakovic) feels that way about me, it sits with me well,” said Fox.
TJ Leaf of UCLA and Nigel Williams-Goss of Gonzaga also added their own input and takeaways from meeting with the Kings personnel.
“They had a lot of people in there, good interaction and I really like the Kings a lot,” said UCLA guard TJ Leaf.
“It was great meeting Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, guys I remember watching and I have looked up to,” said Williams-Goss. “It was a really cool experience. Another team that clearly did their homework on me, knew a ton about me. It was as informal as an interview can be and it was really comfortable to be in that setting.”
Players were not the only ones with praise for Sacramento’s front office crew. Former NBA guard turned agent B.J. Armstrong, who represents several potential draftees, also expressed his thoughts on the Kings.
“Vlade and Scott Perry, they are as sharp as anybody in this league,” said Armstrong to James Ham of NBC Sports. “[Vlade was] one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. [Perry’s] track record of success speaks for itself.”
As the Kings look to potentially have two picks in the top 10 of the upcoming NBA Draft, as well as a high second-round selection, the information gathered at the Combine is an important first step in determining who would be the best fit to the roster.
