Kings president of basketball operations Monte McNair was wheeling and dealing Thursday night in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources, that Sacramento traded the No. 38 overall pick and a future second-rounder to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Xavier guard Colby Jones, who was selected with the No. 34 pick.
Earlier Thursday night, the Celtics acquired the No. 34 pick in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets.
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It was the second trade McNair completed in a matter of minutes. In the first round of the draft, the Kings reportedly sent center Richaun Holmes and the No. 24 pick -- Olivier-Maxence Prosper -- to the Dallas Mavericks in a move that cleared up significant cap space. Sacramento now has over $30 million in cap space heading into free agency.
Jones, 21, played three collegiate seasons for the Musketeers. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 34 minutes per game for Xavier during the 2022-23 season.
Jones, who stands 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, is known as a solid defender with a high basketball IQ. He struggled with his shot as a freshman and sophomore, shooting just 30.3 percent from deep over his first two seasons, but he improved to nearly 38 percent as a junior.
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The Kings still have one pick remaining in the 2023 draft -- No. 54 overall. The No. 38 overall pick Sacramento traded away was the final piece of its blockbuster trade for Domantas Sabonis in February 2022.