Barring a trade, the Los Angeles Lakers are slated to select seventh overall in the 2014 NBA draft. Fans in Los Angeles would love to see Joel Embiid or Andrew Wiggins in purple and gold next season, but at this point, there's virtually no chance those two drop out of the top three, let alone the top six.
So that brings us to the ultimate question: Whom should the Lakers be targeting? Which positions are most important to look at, and do they simply take the best talent available?
Between now and June 26, there will be plenty of speculation as to what the Lakers will do with their pick. What we do know, however, is which players would best fit in L.A. today and which players management should consider with the draft around the corner.
Dante Exum
Dante Exum could very well be the Lakers' top target. He's a long, athletic point guard who would slide in perfectly at a position that's been problematic for Los Angeles the past few seasons.
The problem is, Exum is more of an honorable mention at this point, as the chance of six teams passing on him looks highly unlikely.
As B/R's Jonathan Wasserman told B/R's Adam Lefkoe, "Yeah, Exum has the highest upside of any of the guards in the field. At both ends of the floor he can really change a game, get into the paint, lock down that perimeter with that 6'6" size, 6'9" wingspan."
All that sounds great for a team like L.A., but as Wasserman points out, the Australian is a perfect fit for the Orlando Magic at No. 4. It's possible that Exum would be a great for the Lakers, but it's improbable that they actually land him.
Marcus Smart
If the Lakers are set on drafting a point guard, Marcus Smart becomes the next (and more realistic) option.
Currently No. 8 on Chad Ford's Mock Draft 7.0 (ESP...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
