Source: Kings hold pre-draft workout with Duke star and Sacramento native Jared McCain
A highly touted NBA draft prospect with ties to Sacramento returned to his roots Saturday to participate in a pre-draft workout with the Kings.
A league source told The Sacramento Bee Duke star Jared McCain went through a workout at the team’s Golden 1 Center facilities just days ahead of the draft. McCain is one of the most high-profile prospects known to have visited the Kings, who have the No. 13 pick in the draft.
McCain is one of 25 players who received Green Room invitations for the first round of the draft, which will be held Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The second round will be held Thursday.
McCain is widely projected as a first-round pick. NBADraft.net has him going to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 14. Tankathon.com has him going to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 16. The Ringer has him going to the Orlando Magic at No. 18.
McCain, 20, is a 6-foot-3 ¼, 203-pound combo guard who was born in Sacramento. He was named California Gatorade Player of the Year and selected as a McDonald’s All-American after starring at Centennial High School in Corona.
McCain came out of high school as a five-star recruit and one of the top players in the Class of 2023. He chose Duke over the likes of Gonzaga, Kansas and Houston.
McCain averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals as a freshman at Duke, leading the Blue Devils to a 27-9 record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8. He demonstrated excellent efficiency, shooting 46.2% from the field, 41.4% from 3-point range and 88.5% at the free-throw line.
McCain posted three 30-point games for Duke, including two in the NCAA Tournament. He scored a career-high 35 points in a win over Florida State on Feb. 17, tying Zion Williamson for the freshman scoring record at Duke.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor described McCain as “somewhere between Steph and Seth Curry” with the following pluses and minuses:
Pluses
▪ Launches jumpers off the dribble with comfort from all ranges, and he can fire when moving from either side or into a stepback.
▪ Methodical ball handler who knows how to use pace, angles, and contact to generate space for himself.
▪ Talented, selfless passer who runs a composed pick-and-roll. He’s capable of making any pass and does a good job of reading the floor.
▪ Hard-nosed defender who can handle point-of-attack defense, fighting over screens, and sticking to the opponent.
Minuses
▪ Lacks a quick first step, limiting his ability to create a ton of space. Sometimes he’s unable to turn the corner against longer defenders, which keeps him from getting all the way to the basket.
▪ Undersized, below-the-rim finisher who will need to rely on creative finishes to score around NBA length.
