After acquiring the 46th pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers told the Washington Wizards to draft Jordan Clarkson out of Missouri. Another rookie considered a steal for the storied franchise.
Unfortunately, Clarkson had to sit and wait to sign his rookie deal with the team. Although he was the last player on the roster to sign his contract, the team and Clarkson agreed to terms earlier this week and the rookie immediately got to work at the practice facility in El Segundo, according to the Lakers’ Twitter account:
.@JClark5on going to work in the gym the day after signing his contract. https://t.co/OtJzGHesrp
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 26, 2014
Heading into the 2014 NBA draft, the Lakers had an opportunity to bring a talented young player after the team secured the seventh overall pick following a 27-win season. That pick turned out to be Kentucky’s Julius Randle.
The Lakers were fortunate enough to land Randle at seven, but they weren’t done making moves on draft day. After drafting Randle, Mitch Kupchak and company got to work on trying to acquire another pick and were able to do so by buying the Wizards’ pick at 46 overall.
Clarkson could play a big role in his first year in the league as a combo guard under new head coach Byron Scott. Clarkson showed his ability to play both positions in the backcourt during the NBA Summer League and has likely improved his chances of getting minutes next season as a result.
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