With the 2025 NBA Draft just a month away, many teams are getting an idea of who will be at the top of their boards, but the Sacramento Kings are in a much more challenging spot.
The Kings’ first-round pick was top-12 protected, and since they did not get lucky in the draft lottery, it will be conveyed to the Atlanta Hawks. Now, as it stands, the Kings will only be picking at No. 42 overall.
It is challenging to gauge who will be available in the second round, but there seems to be plenty of high-end second-round talent in this year’s class.
ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel released his latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft, and he predicts the Kings will take a chance on Labaron Philon, a star point guard out of Alabama.
Philon, 19, played just one season at Alabama but quickly made his mark. On his way to an SEC All-Freshman selection, Philon averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in the toughest conference in college basketball.
“Labaron Philon may wind up going well before this spot, potentially even in the first round. Then again, Philon is still an unpolished NBA prospect who relied a lot on his athleticism rather than skill at Alabama. He still has a lot of maturing to do as a lead ball handler and scorer as an undersized guard,” Siegel wrote.
“However, his high upside and motor are what have teams interested in him. The Sacramento Kings have one pick this year, and they are going to be going after the best player available. Philon can grow into a great guard in time, especially considering the burst he plays with in transition. The Alabama product would fit in nicely with the tempo Sacramento plays at.”
Philon is a 6-foot-4 point guard who has a very tight handle and plays with an extremely high motor on both sides of the ball. For a team in desperate need of point guard help, Philon would be the ideal second-round selection to take a chance on. Philon has very high upside as a starting point guard in the NBA, and taking a talent like him at pick 42 would be a steal.
Of course, there are reasons why Philon is not an undisputed first-round pick. The young guard shot just 31.5% from three-point range at Alabama, but he makes up for a streaky jumpshot with an elite game inside the arc.
If the Kings want to make the most of their second-round pick, taking a chance on a potential first-round talent like Philon is the way to go.
