Kings’ Playoff Outcome Will Determine 2024 NBA Draft Fate

The play-in game is more than a future playoff date for Sacramento.

Apr 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) lights the / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings’ season is at risk on Friday night, when they’ll be set to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a knockout matchup. In the fifth year of the play-in tournament, the Kings have the opportunity to make the playoffs after finishing the regular season as the ninth seed in the Western Conference.

Sacramento has yet to defeat the Pelicans this season, holding an 0-5 record against NOLA. Despite losing every game, the Kings entered every gameday as the favorites, and this pattern continues heading into Friday. The Kings currently sit as 2-point favorites against a Pelicans crew that will be without star forward Zion Williamson. 

The winner of Friday night’s game will take over the 8 seed in the playoffs, and will be forced to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder sit as top dog in a loaded conference, finishing the regular season with 57 wins and on a five game win streak.

Head coach Mike Brown said earlier this week that his team has a “swing for the fences” mentality, and knows that they can play to anybody’s level. Winning on Friday would mean more than just making the playoffs, though.

If the Kings pull out a victory they would in turn lose their 2024 first round draft pick, something that they optioned to the Atlanta Hawks when trading for Kevin Huerter in the summer of 2022. This would leave Sacramento with zero first round draft picks this year. On the other hand, if the Kings fall short on Friday night, they will reclaim their first round pick because it was lottery protected.

While some fans want to see a playoff series against the Thunder, others feel that the risk of losing in the first round isn’t worth stunting the development of the team. Regardless, it’ll be a playoff-esque atmosphere in New Orleans, and the Kings need to be ready to match the intensity.

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