2018 NBA Draft: West Virginia’s Daxter Miles Among Prospects Participating In Lakers Pre-Draft Workout

Trevor Lane
4 Min Read

The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to make their selections in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft and are leaving no stone unturned as they sort through the available prospects. They have already seen a plethora of NBA hopefuls and on Monday a new crop will come in.

This next group features Matt Farrell of Notre Dame, Zach Lofton of New Mexico State, Western Kentucky’s Justin Johnson, Daxter Miles of West Virginia, Fairfield’s Tyler Nelson, and Georgetown’s Marcus Derrickson.

Farrell, a senior, averaged 16.3 points and 5.5 assists at Notre Dame last season. He also shot 38 percent from three, something that could come in handy on a Lakers team that badly needs to improve their shooting.

Meanwhile, Lofton was a key player for New Mexico State, putting up a scorching 20.1 points and 5 rebounds per game. While he can certainly score the basketball, Lofton will have age working against him.

He is already 25 and will turn 26 in November. The Lakers have done well drafting older players like Kyle Kuzma, Larry Nance Jr., and Josh Hart, but Lofton would be pushing that practice to a new level.

At 6’7″ and with 3-point range, Johnson may draw some interest in the NBA, where floor spacing has become extremely important. He finished his fourth year at Western Kentucky on a high night, hitting 42 percent of his threes while also chipping in 15.7 points and 9.5 rebounds, which was a conference high. His overall field goal percentage of 52 percent should get him a solid look.

Another senior, Daxter Miles is the only player of this bunch to appear on the Basketball Insiders Top 100 NBA Draft Prospects list. He earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament team thanks to his strong play, which included 1.3 steals per game.

Keeping with the trend of auditioning seniors, the Lakers bring in Fairfield’s all-time leader in points, threes, and free throw percentage in Nelson. The 6’3″ guard averaged 22.2 points 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in his senior season.

To round out the group, Georgetown’s Derrickson showed the kind of inside-outside versatility that NBA teams love. He hit an impressive 47 percent from three last season while using his 6’7″ frame to snag 8.1 rebounds per game, which landed him on the All Big-East Second Team.

The NBA Draft is on June 21, giving the Lakers just a few more weeks to plan who they will select.

As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
Exit mobile version