The LA Lakers have the number two pick in the draft and names like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay are potential targets for the team this year and this comes as players like Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge are free agent options for Kobe Bryant support this summer for Mitch Kupchak.
The Lakers are coming into the offseason with a ton of money to spend on free agents and they come into things knowing that Kobe Bryant will be retiring soon. According to ESPN.com, Mitch Kupchak said that he thinks this could be the final year for Bryant with the Lakers and if that is true, expect the team to look for the next superstar to take over as the face of the team. The draft offers an opportunity for that, while free agency has some notable names that could come to California.
The Lakers made the most significant jump in the draft lottery after finishing fourth worst in the league, as they got the second overall pick. The Knicks fell back and they are at four and that gives the Lakers a very strong chance at getting a game changer. Both Jahlil Okafor and Towns have been mentioned by scouts as a potential top overall pick and now Los Angeles will have to wait and see what the Timberwolves do at number one.
After the NCAA tournament Towns overtook Okafor in most mock drafts as the presumptive number one pick, but that doesn't mean the Wolves will take him. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Draft Express reports that Flip Saunders "really likes" Okafor and could take him at number one. The Lakers like would take Towns if that happens, but the team also could consider D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay. The team has Jordan Clarkson emerging at point guard, but those two players have been getting more attention leading up to the draft.
According to Chad Ford at ESPN, the Lakers are looking at Okafor and Mudiay as the top targets on their draft board and the team also is looking into Russell. Okafor is coming out of Duke after playing one year and Ford writes that the team wants to solidify their front court and could look at Okafor as the way to do that. The Lakers drafted Julius Randle last year and he is coming back after dealing with a foot injury and missing nearly all of last season.
The Lakers likely will pick either Okafor or Towns depending on who the Wolves take and after that most mock drafts have Russell and Mudiay next. The Celtics reportedly want to trade up to get Willie Cauley-Stein, but Mitch Kupchak said the Lakers are very likely keeping their pick this year. The Knicks pick is the one experts see as the one that could get traded in the top four.
The Lakers are going to be one of the most active teams in free agency this summer, as they will have over $20 million in cap space to use. Rajon Rondo is going to be a top target according to Pro Basketball Talk, but the Lakers only want to sign him at a certain price, aka not a max contract. Greg Monroe could be a major target if Marc Gasol stays in Memphis, while Goran Dragic will be a target even if it looks like he will be staying in Miami.