The LA Lakers have the number two pick in the draft and reports have the team interested in prospects like Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis, D'Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Emmanuel Mudiay and how things play out could be dictated by who the Minnesota Timberwolves take number one overall, as Los Angeles has major needs in the backcourt and up front.
The Lakers finished the regular season with the fourth worst record in the league, but they made the most significant jump in the lottery by getting the number two pick. Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns are considered to be the top two prospects in the draft by most draft experts and in mocks leading up to the event they are going one-two on a consistent basis. The prevailing narrative about the Lakers is that they will pick the player the Minnesota Timberwolves leave behind, but Los Angeles could go against that.
The team reportedly has interest in D'Angelo Russell and Kristaps Porzingis, while Emmanuel Mudiay was mentioned as a possibility earlier in the year. Porzingis and Mudiay are considered riskier than Towns or Okafor due to the fact they played overseas and have not been scouted as much, but they have been impressing in workouts leading up to the draft. According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, the 19-year-old Porzingis was strong in his latest workout for scouts and that he is " giving Lakers something to ponder" at the number two pick.
Chad Ford wrote earlier in the offseason that Okafor and Mudiay were at the "top of the draft board" for the Lakers and in his latest mock draft he has Okafor going to Los Angeles. The Timberwolves have the number one overall pick and coming into the draft is seems like Towns has the edge over Okafor to go with the top pick. Okafor came into the season as the presumptive number one, but the way Towns played in the NCAA Tournament pushed him over the top.
Mudiay has worked out for all of the top four teams, while Russell has a workout set with the Sixers and both players could be in the mix for Philadelphia at three. Fox Sports reported this week that the Lakers are "torn" between Okafor and Russell at the number two pick. The Lakers have a need at point guard, but they also have Julius Randle coming off of a foot injury and they do not know what to expect moving forward.
According to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Mudiay remains an option for the Lakers and he had a second workout with the team this week. The Lakers are planning to take another look at Okafor and Russell before the draft starts and the team also is looking at their late round picks as valuable additions for the roster. Russell is likely favored over Mudiay, but the Lakers will be tempted by Okafor or Towns. General manager Mitch Kupchak has been asked throughout the season about where the Lakers will try an improve over the summer through the draft and he has been consistent in saying that the team will consider the best player available.