The Lakers had been trying to pay their way into the second round of the NBA draft this year, as we reported back on June 6. On Thursday, they succeeded, selecting the No. For money and a future second-round pick, the Magic will trade their 35th pick.
What the Lakers will do with it now is the question.
The players the team chose to work out during the predraft process—mostly older, more skilled college players who could stick on the roster and contribute right away in 2022–23—gave some indication of their intentions. The Lakers need young players who can give the team some energy, not players with upside.
They would be content to take home a young backup point guard.
The team gave some indication of their intention by the type of players they chose to work out during the predraft process—mostly older, more polished collegians who could stick on the roster and contribute immediately in the 2022-23. The Lakers are not in need of upside—they need young players who can inject some energy into the team.
They’d be happy to come away with a young backup point guard.
As one league source told early this month, “They can see the writing on the wall, they need young players. They’re often one of the teams looking to buy a second-round pick when they have a guy they like, as they did with Talen Horton-Tucker. It’s a safe bet that they will look to buy a second-rounder this year, send out cash and a future pick, as they’re looking to get younger however possible.”
In 2019, the Lakers paid $2.2 million to the Magic for the rights to Horton-Tucker, and sent a 2020 second-rounder in the deal.
Polished Gonzaga PG the Top Contender?
Among scouts and league executives, one of the popular late first/early second-round names has been Gonzaga point guard Andrew Nembhard, who played two seasons at Florida before finishing his junior and senior years with the Bulldogs. Nembhard averaged 11.3 points and 5.8 assists as a senior, shooting 38.3% from the 3-point line.
“When it comes to guys who are polished, he is probably tops in this draft,” one scout told Heavy.com. “I could see a team taking him late in the first round because he is ready to come in and fill a role quickly. He is not going to be a star, but he can be a solid backup point guard from the jump, someone who does not make many mistakes and makes winning plays. He shot the ball well as a senior and that was one of the big holes in his game.”
Jemaree Bouyea a Potential Lakers Pick at 35
The Lakers would certainly figure to have an eye on Nembhard, but one guy they worked out who is also ready for backup point guard minutes this season is San Francisco point guard Jemaree Bouyea, who is 6-foot-2 and a fifth-year senior, already 23 years old. Bouyea averaged 17.3 points in each of his last two seasons.
Expect the Lakers, too, to have an eye on first-round prospects who slip to Round 2, especially experienced ones: athletic junior guard Christian Braun of Kansas, Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia, G-League wing MarJon Beauchamp and Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell among them.
The Lakers entered last season with the oldest roster in the NBA, by far, at 30.0 years old, well ahead of the 28.3 years averaged by the second-oldest team, the Brooklyn Nets. The team is eager to add younger, hungrier players to its mix next season.
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