Currently situated with the number two overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers are widely believed to favor taking whoever is left between top prospects Ben Simmons of LSU and Brandon Ingram of Duke. That won’t prevent them from doing their due diligence on all the top prospects, however, and one of the more promising is Cal forward Jaylen Brown.
Brown is one of the draft’s best athletes and has the tools to be a lockdown defender in the NBA. He has also already endeared himself to some Lakers fans by taking part in early-morning workouts because Kobe Bryant was known for them.
With the draft just a few weeks away, Brown has set up a group workout for a number of teams, one of which could be the Lakers according to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears:
Cal's Jaylen Brown scheduled group workout w/MIN, MIL, TOR, maybe LAL Saturday, source says. Expected to workout at BOS, NO, & PHX next week
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) May 28, 2016
Brown will almost surely not be a target for the Lakers if they remain in the second spot, but with so many rumors floating around, and the Lakers potentially trading the pick, the Lakers could find themselves a few spots lower on draft day.
In the case that they do, Brown could very well be a target. He fits a need as a small forward with an NBA-ready body who can defend from day one. He is solid while attacking the rim, but his jump shot still needs work.
Nonetheless, Brown is an extremely hard worker who will get everything possible out of himself. If some moves are made and the Lakers find themselves in the bottom half of the top-10, Brown could be an excellent pick.