Luck was on the Los Angeles Lakers' side on Tuesday night as the team landed the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Despite not finishing with the worst record in the league, the Lakers still managed to grab the high pick which will be critical for their rebuilding franchise. With Kobe Bryant reaching the end of his career and young talent like Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson on the rise, who will the Lakers target with the pick?
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Karl-Anthony Towns wants to be drafted by the Lakers and not the Minnesota Timberwolves who hold the No. 1 overall pick. Wojnarowski reports that Towns might not even take a meeting with the Timberwolves in hopes that they select Jahlil Okafor instead. Towns and Okafor are considered the top two players available and the Lakers are now in position to get one.
Following the draft, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Lakers will likely keep the pick and draft one of the big men available with Towns and Okafor as the favorites. This fits a need for Los Angeles. They are losing Carlos Boozer and are in need of an elite presence under the rim. They have been eyeing options like Brook Lopez, Greg Monroe and Marc Gasol for the role, but the No. 2 draft pick means they can grab a rookie instead.
While size appears to be the favorite for the draft, a point guard could be the target for free agency. The Lakers benefitted greatly from the rise of Clarkson. After the injury to Steve Nash and the struggles of Jeremy Lin, Clarkson went from being in the D-League to a member of the All-Rookie team. That does not mean the Lakers will not chase Rajon Rondo or Goran Dragic with a deal. The Los Angeles Times reported the Lakers had soured slightly on Rondo after his dramatic season with Dallas, but his friendship with Kobe Bryant might make him an ideal candidate.
The big decision for the Lakers will be to determine just how invested they are in both Clarkson and other stars like Nick Young. Both names have been tossed around in trade rumors. If the Lakers can sign Rondo, do they trade Clarkson for more picks? He could be a top point guard in the making which means he has value for other teams. The Lakers are planning big moves over the next two years and getting the No. 2 pick only pushes those efforts more.
