The LA Lakers have the number two pick in the NBA draft and names like Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell, Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay are potential targets for the team and this comes as LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe, Dwyane Wade and Marc Gasol could be free agent options with Kobe Bryant's retirement likely after the season.
The Lakers were able to get the number two pick in the lottery despite finishing with the fourth worst record in the league and now they have the chance to get a top prospect. The draft has Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor as the presumptive top picks, as most draft experts and scouts see those two as the best players. According to Chad Ford at ESPN.com, the Lakers have Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay at the top of their draft boards and the team also is very interested in Towns.
The Lakers want to be careful about falling in love with one player over the other, as they have no control over what the Timberwolves will do at number one. Ford writes that the Lakers feel that adding a big man is a top priority, as Julius Randle is coming off of a foot injury and will need time to develop after being taken in the draft last year. Ford writes that the team "would love to have" a strong front line with Okafor and Randle, while Towns is also a main target.
The Lakers are also looking to be big spenders in free agency and Pro Basketball Talk writes that players like LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Dwyane Wade and Greg Monroe could be potential targets. Monroe is likely to leave the Pistons, while Aldridge could be an option if he bolts Portland. Bleacher Report writes that Wade is having a dispute with Miami and could be an option if he opts out and leaves.
Mudiay is an interesting prospect, as he played overseas last season and was limited due to injuries. Most draft scouts see Towns, Mudiay, D'Angelo Russell and Okafor as the top four players in the draft and some mock drafts have those names going in the top four. Pro Basketball Talk has the Wolves taking Okafor at number one, with the Lakers taking Towns at two. The Sixers have the third pick and many see them taking Russell, which would leave the Knicks to take someone like Mudiay or Justise Winslow.
The Lakers may bypass a guard at the pick, as they have Jordan Clarkson emerging and could push him into the starting lineup. The Lakers like Towns, but the Wolves will get the first crack at him. According to Draft Express, Towns is not going to necessarily go number one as most people predict, as Flip Saunders "really likes" Okafor and could take him first overall.
According to Lakers Nation and SB Nation, Emmanuel Mudiay is going to work out for the Lakers, Knicks and 76ers as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the draft. Towns and Okafor skipped the draft combine and Towns reportedly may sit out of workouts all together. Mudiay needs to showcase his talents more than Okafor or Towns, as those two players were in college last season and played deep into the NCAA Tournament, while Mudiay played in China.
