Sacramento Kings
Tyrese Haliburton
It’s hard to get excited about any player going to Sacramento, but I think the Kings nailed the draft by picking Tyrese Haliburton. The 6-foot 5, super lanky guard out of Iowa State was projected to be a top 7 pick but for some reason fell all the way to No. 12. I think a few executives are going to be kicking themselves in a few years once they see how good of a pro-Haliburton is.
Tyrese Haliburton certainly is a unique prospect that’ll be fun to watch. Coming on to the draft he was listed as a point guard, but I see him more of a guard combo that can play off-ball which is perfect next to De’Aaron Fox. His shot looks a little funky, but it gets the ball through the hoop at a really good rate, testing out in the 95th percentile catch and shoot metrics among draft prospects (per Synergy).
What his elite skill will be is playmaking – Haliburton is an incredible passer with an even better feel for the game. When you watch the film on him, Haliburton knows how to pick his moments to shoot and knows how to find teammates in the right spot.
He lacks the ability to attack the hoop and get to the file line, which will hold him back from being a premier offensive player. But if you pair Halliburton with the right lineup, he should be a playmaking machine. Expect some heavy Rookie of the Year buzz for Haliburton all year.