It’s rare that reigning champions make any sort of major move during the NBA Draft, but the Los Angeles Lakers are definitely going to keep their options open, given they might need to add some veteran talent in free agency.
L.A. holds the 28th overall pick, one of their final first-round picks for a while that is unaffected by the Anthony Davis trade in 2019.
The Lakers could trade the pick as part of a larger deal, or they could keep it, as they have a history of success with selections in this area of the draft. L.A. drafted Kyle Kuzma at No. 27, Josh Hart at No. 30, Ivica Zubac at No. 32, Larry Nance Jr. at No. 27, and plenty more.
With this relatively unknown draft class, the Lakers potentially have their sights set on Stanford shooting guard Tyrell Terry. He may not be available by No. 28, but he could be a perfect fit, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN:
While many assume the defending champions will look toward more NBA-ready players, the Lakers seem to like Terry, who is getting looks as high as the late teens. His pure shooting stroke and creativity operating out of pick-and-roll are intriguing, considering his youth.
It would be unusual for a championship team to draft a 20-year-old, but Terry is just the type of player L.A. was looking for all of last season. While he is certainly undersized at 6’3, 160 lbs., his shooting stroke is one of the best in the draft.
In his lone season at Stanford, Terry averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. All of these numbers are unlike someone so small, but it shows his activity on the defensive end in spite of that.
Where Terry impresses most is with his shot, as he was relatively close to having a 50-40-90 season, shooting 44.1% from the field, 40.8% from three, and 89.1% from the free throw line.
Lakers held interviews for other potential prospects
In addition, to Terry, who they’ve shown plenty of interest towards, the Lakers have reportedly interviewed a pair of four-year college players: BYU forward Yoeli Childs and College of Charleston guard Grant Riller.
Both would be more fitting for the direction of the Lakers franchise, as both went to college for four season and could potentially go undrafted, giving the team an opportunity to sign them after the fact.
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