6 NBA Draft Prospects the Sacramento Kings Should Keep Their Eye on This Season

The Sacramento Kings are veterans of the NBA lottery, having missed the playoffs for the last eight years. With the way things are headed this season, it looks like they'll be there once again.

Of course, there is a noteworthy caveat this time around. The Kings owe their 2015 first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls (via the Cleveland Cavaliers) if the pick falls outside of the top 10 selections. As things currently stand, Sacramento's .390 win percentage is the 10th worst.

If the lottery fell according to the records, the Kings would keep their pick by the skin of their teeth. Of course, there is no guarantee the lottery falls based on the standings, as Sacramento has found out the hard way over the years.

The team also could potentially lose its second-round choice if it falls within the 31st and 49th selection. The chances of keeping that selection, though, are much greater, as the Kings' record will assuredly give them a pick in the first half of Round 2.

For the purpose of this article, we're making the assumption that Sacramento keeps its first- and second-round picks and that the first-rounder falls somewhere between picks No. 6 and No. 10.

If the Kings are drafting in that area, they should target a few players who fit Sacramento's needs based on the position they play or the skill set they bring to the table.

Kevon Looney, UCLA, Freshman, Power Forward

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Kevon Looney is a combo forward for the Bruins. With Rudy Gay on the Kings, Sacramento would select him with the intention of playing him at power forward.

At 6'10" and with a 7'3" wingspan, he has the length for the 4. However, at 210 pounds, he'll need to put on more bulk. But his skill set fits what the Kings need from a power forward.

With DeMarcus Cousins manning the post, getting a power forward who can stretch the floor would be a good fit. Looney has displayed good range with the Bruins. He can hit mid-range jumpers and three-pointers; he also possesses the versatility to put the ball on the floor, as Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman points out:

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At 6'9" with long arms, his ability to step outside and face the basket could be awfully tough for slower-footed big men to match up with.

During his 27-point, 19-rebound outburst against Stanford, he nailed two three-pointers and beat his man twice off the dribble from the wing, one resulting in a layup, the other in free throws. 

He also took two defensive rebounds coast to coast, using six dribbles on each trip. Looney got fouled on the first attempt before throwing down a slam on the second. 

He nailed three jumpers against Gonzaga, one squared up, another off the catch and a third he created himself with a step-back crossover.

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That versatility means he could be a productive offensive player while not having to occupy the paint, which would give Cousins even more room to work.

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky, Junior, Center

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While Willie Cauley-Stein is a center, he's the type of player who could complement Cousins due to his skill set. That's because Cauley-Stein is an excellent defender and shot-blocker.

Those are areas where Cousins has certainly improved, but adding another rim protector next to him would help. After all, Cousins has 50 blocks on the season. His teammate with the second-most blocks, Jason Thompson, only has 25.

For his part, Cauley-Stein is averaging 4.0 blocks per 40 minutes in his three-year career at Kentucky. He also has a 69.4 defensive rating this season. Some of that can be attributed to Kentucky's team defense, which is excellent, but Cauley-Stein is a big part of that unit's success.

The downside is he lacks the offensive versatility to operate away from the basket. But the Kings wouldn't be drafting him for his offense. They'd be taking him as a defensive specialist who would mostly spell Cousins.

That's not the ideal scenario with a top-10 pick—to have a guy who can only impact one end of the court—but the Kings need interior defenders.

Plus Cauley-Stein runs the floor well for a big man. If the Kings are still insistent on pushing the pace next season, the Kentucky product would be a fit there. 

Myles Turner, Texas, Freshman, Power Forward

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Myles Turner is a player ESPN's Chad Ford had going to the Kings in a mock draft. 

Despite his 7'0", 240-pound frame, Turner projects as a power forward in the NBA. That's good news for the Kings since they can play him next to DeMarcus Cousins. 

Turner's size and skills lend to good shot-blocking and rebounding ability. While the Kings are fine on the boards, leading the league in rebound percentage at 53.5 percent, they could use help blocking shots.

According to Ford, that ability is a reason Sacramento should target him in the draft: "The Kings have been looking for a big man who can protect the rim to put alongside DeMarcus Cousins. Turner is very raw, but his basketball talent for a player his size is truly special—especially as a shot-blocker and rebounder."

Bobby Portis, Arkansas, Sophomore, Power Forward

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Taking Bobby Portis in the top 10 may be a reach, as he's currently the 13th-best prospect for Ford and the 19th-best in Sam Vecenie's rankings for CBS Sports.

But like Looney, he's someone the Kings should keep an eye on due to his ability to stretch the floor as a power forward. That kills two birds with one stone.

Not only does it upgrade a weak spot, but it also allows Sacramento to spread the floor, giving Cousins room to work in the post. That's noteworthy considering none of the Kings' other power forwards have that ability. Carl Landry is the closest one to a stretch 4, and even he takes 58.8 percent of his shots within 10 feet of the hoop.

Portis, on the other hand, is making 56.3 percent of his three-pointers this season. Granted, he only shoots one per game, but it's a drastic improvement from the 27.3 percent he made last year. 

Ron Baker, Wichita State, Junior, Shooting Guard/Point Guard

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If the Kings are targeting Ron Baker, it would be for their second-round pick. 

Baker would be a good fit because of his shooting ability. The Kings are still struggling to hit shots from the perimeter, ranking 22nd at three-point percentage. Sacramento's .336 mark from downtown this season is only marginally better than the .333 clip it posted last season, and that's with drastic improvement in three-point shooting from Ben McLemore and Rudy Gay.

Baker is knocking down a career-best 39.3 percent of his looks from long range. It's not as if that's in a small sample size either, as he's hoisting 5.9 threes per game. 

He's also a good decision-maker with the ball and is capable of playing both guard positions. As Wasserman notes, he'd be the perfect role player:

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Whether you consider him a point or shooting guard doesn't matter. Off the bench, he can play either based on matchups. A lethal shooter and capable decision-maker who handles and protects the ball, think Kirk Hinrich when it comes to style of play and best-case comparisons. 

Baker is shooting 38.8 percent from downtown on 2.4 threes made per game, and while he's used in a team-leading 24.4 percent of Wichita State's possessions, he's averaging just 1.2 turnovers. He projects as one of those mistake-free type of guards who knocks down shots, moves the ball and defends.

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There's nothing particularly exciting about that. But you're not looking for excitement with a second-round pick. You're looking for a player who can fill a role. 

Baker is that guy.

Chris McCullough, Syracuse, Freshman, Power Forward

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Drafting Chris McCullough with their second-round pick would be a creative move for the Kings. After recently tearing his ACL, he won't be ready for the start of the season, but he could be a good long-term play. 

Wasserman describes McCullough as "a high-flyer and active defender with promising mid-range touch and tremendous instincts around the rim." 

Those skills would help the Kings, especially coming from a 6'10" power forward. But it'll depend on how patient the Kings are willing to be.

They're pretty set in the starting lineup, with the exception of power forward. In need of role players to fill out the roster, do they really want to use a selection on someone who can't help immediately?

Unless noted otherwise, all stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.

All stats accurate through games played on Jan. 20, 2015.

Who do you think the Kings should target? Let me know on Twitter @SimRisso.