2017 NBA Mock Draft 3.0

After a minor knee injury seemed to slow him down for a bit, De’Aaron Fox has burst back onto the scene in lieu of an impressive SEC tournament run. The shifty, beyond-quick freshman point guard was hitting mid-range jumpers with far more confidence than we saw earlier in the campaign, and utilized his physical tools to attack the rim at a rate we hadn’t quite seen yet.

Fox’s game is among the more well-rounded in this year’s class, with a sub-19 percent clip from deep being the only damper on an otherwise-top-5 worthy resume. Hes the fastest player end to end in this year’s class, and possesses an equally-as-quick first step when operating off the bounce in the halfcourt.

Ideally, given the Kings’ minimalistic talent at this stage, Sacramento would be able to surround Fox with shooters in the coming season, establishing him as a core piece on the perimeter alongside a highly skilled exterior scorer in Buddy Hield. His dribble penetration opens up passing lanes to the outside, while his improved pull-up game could signal some optimism in regards to him formulating some form of sustainable success from beyond the arc later on down the line.

Add Fox’s elite defensive talent to that mix — boasting a lanky 6-4 frame with excellent lateral quickness and a great knack for playing the passing lanes — and the Kings could find him to be the best option available to help revitalize their dismantled core.