On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers headed to the NBA draft lottery in New York with the sixth best chance to land the number one overall pick. Unfortunately for the team, the Lakers dropped a spot and will have the seventh pick in this year’s highly anticipated draft.
— Lakers Nation Store Is Back! Check Out The Latest Gear! —
With Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, and Dante Exum likely off the board by the time of the Lakers’ pick, many are wondering what direction the team will take. According to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding, the Lakers really like Noah Vonleh from Indiana University:
“I know they really like Vonleh […] he’s a guy Lakers are already infatuated with and if he’s there at number seven, I think he’s their guy.”
To many, Vonleh has one of the highest upsides of any player in the draft as he possesses excellent athleticism and can score from the low post and outside. As a result, his stock has improved and may not be available for the Lakers in June.
For the Lakers, most had hoped for at least a top-three pick where they could have drafted most likely the next face of the franchise after Kobe Bryant’s final two seasons or even trading the pick for an established All-Star like Kevin Love. While a lot can happen from now until the draft, Los Angeles will have to evaluate all of their options.
With the Lakers now knowing what pick they have in the draft, they are likely going to pursue the next head coach of the historic franchise.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Top Lakers Head Coaching Candidates