SACRAMENTO, Calif. — No. 1, no Blake Griffin.

No. 2, no Blake Griffin.
No. 3, no Blake Griffin.
No. 4, finishing fourth in Tuesday night’s NBA draft lottery means Geoff Petrie lost an opportunity to acquire the most polished player in the Class of 2009, and that from now until the night of June 25, the Kings will have to make their own luck.
The same process that rewarded Sacramento the first overall pick in 1989 — the one that became the forgettable Pervis Ellison — stuck them behind the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, positioning them as low as they could go.
The worst record in the league. A lousy 17 wins. And this was the best they could do?
Well, maybe not. From now on, every mock draft has to be taken with a shrug and downed with a shot of whiskey. The only thing that really mattered was whether the Kings finished first. After that, game on.
Trade up. Trade back. Swap picks. Trade existing players. Let’s just say the league’s general managers will be too busy for dinner breaks these next several weeks.
“Obviously the fourth pick means you’re out of the running for Blake Griffin,” said Kings player personnel director Jerry Reynolds, “but nothing else is decided. I think this is the kind of draft where a lot of teams will be looking to do something. It could very well become a very active, interesting draft.”
This particular draft, in fact, has the characteristics of a crap shoot, a process likely to feature more lies and misdirection plays than usual.
Consider: The Clippers finished first, but really want Ricky Rubio. The Grizzlies finished second, but need size, and are thought to be seriously interested in 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet. The Thunder seeks an upgrade at shooting guard, but one of Rubio’s most glaring deficiencies is his perimeter jumper. Might Oklahoma City be tempted to select shooting guard James Harden, perhaps coaxed into swapping picks with the Kings?
Or, as someone within the organization hinted late Tuesday, some of the Kings’ front-office types are enamored of Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn. They might get their man and a future star without moving either draft pick or person.
“Four years ago, the best player went fourth, and that was Chris Paul,” reminded Reynolds, after the festivities at Chris Webber’s Center Court restaurant in Natomas. “Two years ago, the best player went six, and that was Brandon Roy. Last year, (Russell) Westbrook, a terrific young player, went No. 4. So it’s up to the Kings to find another terrific young player at No. 4 or do something equivalent.”
The spin is on, though not without merit, and though it didn’t begin in earnest until well after the Kings’ positioning was determined. As Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver flipped up the card showing the Kings’ logo, spectators let out a collective gasp as they stared at TV screens inside and outside the restaurant. In the back dining area, where Mayor Kevin Johnson and former Sheriff Lou Blanas mingled with Colleen Maloof, co-owners Joe and Gavin, and members of the organization, the brothers initially were stunned, but recovered reasonably quickly.
Gavin bounced out of his seat and insisted, “No, no, no, we’re not disappointed. There are no tears here.”
A more subdued Joe Maloof sipped on a soft drink that appeared to have been spiked with castor oil, listened as his brother spoke to reporters, then forced a laugh.
“Sure, we wanted No. 1,” he admitted, “but the fact that we have one of the first four picks gives us options. And one thing we know is that Geoff Petrie always picks good players.”
There is that. Petrie’s draft history is excellent, and although this is his first top-four pick, it isn’t very different from previous drafts in this sense: There is only one projected impact player (Griffin). But there will be other potential stars somewhere in this draft, and it’s up to him to find them.