Perhaps the most intriguing pick of the first round falls here at the seven spot as the Los Angeles Lakers will soon be on the clock. By all accounts the Lakers are likely going to use this pick to better their roster rather than try and package the pick in a trade. The Lakers really don’t have enough appealing talent to go along with this pick to lure a decent enough player in return.
This is truly unchartered territory of late for the Lakers as they haven’t had a lottery pick inside of the top ten since 1982 when they selected James Worthy first overall. In fact the Lakers have only had one draft pick in the first-round since 2009 when they picked 29th overall.
With only second-round picks in the last four drafts the Lakers haven’t had much opportunity to find true impact players. All this could change come draft day as the Lakers are poised to grab an NBA ready prospect with the seventh overall pick.
The Lakers are going to need to acquire a lot of players for the coming season as they have Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre under contract at the moment. With three players accounting for $35 million in salary help is needed in whatever form it comes in. A wildcard to this equation is free-agent Pau Gasol who may decide to test the waters rather than return to the purple and gold and all the drama that accompanies it.
Thing to remember is that the Lakers do not rebuild, they reload and they will reload via free-agency. Be it a Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony or Rajon Rondo, you can bet that the Lakers will take a run at one of or all of the top free-agents on the market.
Biggest Draft Day Need:
It is no secret that Nash and Bryant are both on their last leg and possible their last contract respectively. With that in mind, finding replacements for both moving forward is necessary. Since both are sure-fire Hall of Famers; finding replacements is going to be difficult. No one is going to replace Bryant at the two guard spot; however, finding a suitable replacement at point guard just might be a possibility.
In addition to needing a new point guard, the Lakers also need an entire frontcourt. With such needs the Lakers must have a lengthy draft big board that is full of possibilities. However, given the talent in this draft it would make the most sense to see the Lakers try and address their point guard issues.
To that end there are two viable options here for them to choose from. While the choice will likely be made for them rather than by them it nonetheless should leave them with a solid option at the point guard position.
The Lakers would prefer to grab Australia’s Dante Exum with this pick, but the Orlando Magic are probably going to beat them to the punch as they draft fourth overall and are in need of help at the point as well. If Exum comes off the board then Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart would be the logical selection here.
Smart stands at only 6’2” but he makes up for his lack of height with a ridiculous 6’9” wingspan. Not only does he play long for his height but he is a stacked and jacked 227 pounds of muscle which lets him get to the rim, finish over bigger players and take the contact and punishment that comes with attacking the painted area.
Smart can also contribute immediately on the defensive end of the court as he can body up against taller guards, defend on the perimeter with his long reach and hold his own should teams decide to play a post-up offence.
Smart makes a lot of sense for the Lakers here as he could learn under the guidance of Nash for a season and get a glimpse into the heart and desire of Bryant before he too hangs them up for good. This kid has the drive and ability to be an all-star, whether or not he can put the skills to work along side it all remains to be seen; however, for a seventh overall pick he should be considered a gem.