The Los Angeles Lakers understood the implications of the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery at the conclusion of the regular season. After patiently waiting, the Lakers secured the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and have the chance to draft top prospects such as Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson and De’Aaron Fox.
An entire city patiently watched the impending results, with the Sacramento Kings providing the first shake up in the order. Once the Phoenix Suns were deemed the No. 4 pick, it finalized the Lakers place in the top three.
The duo of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka now have a little over a month until the 2017 NBA Draft, on June 22. During this time, they will analyze each prospect in their range and host workouts to get a hands-on analysis. Sitting at No. 2, the Lakers were immediately linked to Ball, but another freshman is also on their radar, via Jonathan Givony of Draft Express:
Word out of LA is Lonzo Ball is heavy favorite at #2, but will take a long hard look at De'Aaron Fox too. Hoping for a head to head workout.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 17, 2017
In an exclusive interview with Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation, father LaVar Ball stated that his son will only workout for the Lakers, an apparent match made in heaven in his eyes. His father has exuded a certain confidence since his son burst onto the scene, stating that Lonzo will be drafted by the Lakers days before the lottery results.
However, the Lakers cannot bank their entire draft on a single player, especially when they don’t own the No. 1 pick. Fox has a strong skill set and is active on both ends of the court, something the Lakers certainly need to improve upon. The Texas native averaged 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game at the University of Kentucky.
Fox also put together a solid freshman season, including his strong run during the NCAA Tournament. Under John Calipari’s guidance, he posted 39 points, three rebounds and four assists during their victory over Ball and UCLA in the Sweet 16.