Kings Predicted to Take Franchise Point Guard in 2026 NBA Draft

Schroder is far from what the Kings need at the position going forward, and he is simply a band-aid for the team as they look for a long-term solution. The Kings are expected to have a forgettable 2025-26 season, but since they own their first-round pick in 2026, they can afford to be bad.

Despite having some talent on their roster in stars like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, the Kings could actually prefer to win fewer games next season and land a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman released an early 2026 NBA Mock Draft on Tuesday, and he predicts that the Kings will find their new franchise point guard.

Wasserman predicts that the Kings will select Duke freshman Cayden Boozer with the 11th overall pick in next summer's draft.

Cayden and his twin brother, Cameron, are the sons of NBA legend Carlos Boozer, and both are heading to Duke for their freshman season. Cameron is expected to be a top-three pick next summer as a 6-foot-10 beast, but Cayden did not get the same height gene. Cayden is just 6-foot-5, but has refined his skill set as a high-level point guard. This has allowed the two twins to play an elite two-man game.

"There are still sure to be NBA teams that become fans of his unteachable feel running offense, making smart passing reads and setting up teammates up in high-percentage spots," Wasserman wrote. "His IQ shows at both ends of the floor, with Boozer showing anticipation as both a playmaker and defender."

Of course, plenty of things can change before next June, and the Kings could even hope to land a higher pick in the draft, especially if they will be missing the playoffs regardless. However, with pick 11, as it looks, Boozer would not be a bad option at all.

"He may not put up big scoring numbers due to his unselfishness, especially on a loaded Duke roster," Wasserman continued. "Still, he has grown into a reliable shooter, both from three-point range and the mid-range, and he shows excellent touch on floaters."

Of course, a point guard like Boozer has to be surrounded by elite offensive talents to be effective, which will show in his lone season at Duke, and many NBA scouts will certainly recognize what he brings to a winning team.