Tuesday is a pivotal moment for Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and the entire Los Angeles Lakers organization, as the fate of their top-three protected pick will be revealed. The Lakers seem to be rather interested in the point guard prospects, with Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz atop the list.
Each prospective pick has their own skill set and arsenal of moves, which would transform the dynamic of the team should the Lakers keep the pick. Fultz, a ball-dominant guard who has an NBA-ready skill set, could make a greater immediate impact than any rookie in the draft, On the other hand, Ball affects all parts of the game and makes his teammates noticeably better.
The NBA Draft Lottery is set for May 16, just before the beginning of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. All projected lottery picks understand the implications the NBA Draft Lottery has, with Fultz appearing on Sirius XM NBA Radio to discuss which teams have gauged his interest:
Fultz says the six teams he met with at the combine were Celtics, Lakers, Suns, 76ers, Knicks and Kings #NBADraft
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 15, 2017
Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.7 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game at the University of Washington. The possibility of landing either Fultz or Ball would be quite the haul for the Lakers, with a future point guard to help guide this franchise back to their winning ways.
The 18-year-old commented on the possibility of landing with the Lakers, stating that president of basketball operations Magic Johnson would be a huge asset in helping him develop into the best point guard in the NBA:
Markelle Fultz says he would love to learn from Magic Johnson. He wants to be the best PG ever and that means passing Magic. #Lakers
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 15, 2017
Johnson is considered by most to be the greatest point guard in NBA history, leading the ‘Showtime’ Lakers to five championships. If the Lakers were to keep the pick, Fultz would grow under Johnson’s wing and learn from one of the most brilliant NBA minds of all time.
You can check out Fultz Lakers Nation draft profile here, to get a better understanding of his incoming strengths and weaknesses.