Los Angeles Lakers still own the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and will be selecting, short of a trade. The draft is just hours away. The organization is pressured to make a significant move this season to ensure they don’t give New Orleans another lottery selection from the Anthony Davis deal five years ago. The team plans to send the Pelicans the pick from the following year.
According to reports, the team is set on Jazz guard Collin Sexton, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, and Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. All three players cover vital roles for the Lakers, who are under a lot of pressure to bolster their squad this summer, particularly in light of the hiring of JJ Redick as head coach.
They might draft win-now players such as Zach Edey or Tristan Da Silva. But they cannot afford to make the same mistake they made when they chose Jalen Hood-Schifino the previous year. The squad may do better if they exchange the choice for a tried-and-true player.
Let’s examine a few mock drafts from across the web to determine who experts believe will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers by Wednesday night.
1. Zach Edey, Purdue
Having worked out for the Lakers, Edey is projected to be selected first overall if available. This projection is based on The Athletic‘s mock draft. Los Angeles Lakers would benefit significantly if Edey could play well for this squad and offer depth and skill at the center position.
During college, Edey was a prolific scorer who led the country with 25.2 points and grabbed 12.2 rebounds. He also shot an extremely effective 62.3 percent from the field. The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping he’s still available at No. 17 so they can choose him if they like what they see from him in these workouts. If they think he won’t be available where they are now, they might try to move up with the No. 17 selection.
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2. Tristan Da Silva, Colorado
The Lakers are just one NBA club that could use a good wing. Choosing a plug-and-play wing/forward like Da Silva would make sense if the Lakers decide to stay the course. At six feet ten inches, he has a great size. His 3-point percentage was 40%.
In addition, he adds a keen sense of the game, selflessness, and rivalry to both sides of the court. Da Silva is expected to be ready to play shortly for a club looking to improve.
3. Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Ware can potentially develop into a rookie rim protector and lob threat like Dereck Lively II of the Mavericks. However, Ware might add another level if his 3-point shot performs as well as it did in his second campaign at Indiana. However, things haven’t gone well since the Los Angeles Lakers selected a Hoosier at number 17 in the previous round.
