The Lakers have been one of the league's marquee franchises for decades, but a recent lack of success has left them at the bottom of the NBA totem pole. With superstar Kobe Bryant now retired, the Lakers can turn the page on that chapter of their franchise and begin the process of rebuilding and returning the team to its glory days.
The first place that teams look during a rebuild is the NBA draft, where they can find young, cheap talent. If you have a high pick like the Lakers do on June 23 (No. 2 overall), your chances of finding a franchise cornerstone are even higher.
Another option is to trade that high pick for an established player. But Sean Deveney of Sporting News said last Thursday that the Lakers prefer to hold on to their pick lest a team blow them away with an offer.
"The consensus around the league is that the teams with slots 1-2 will hold on to their picks," Deveney wrote. "If a blockbuster develops for L.A., that could change, but nothing is imminent on that front."
So assuming the Lakers stand pat at No. 2, who will they end up selecting in the draft? As Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding reported, they plan to work out one of the top talents in the draft class:
Along with the LSU Tigers' Ben Simmons, the Duke Blue Devils' Brandon Ingram is widely regarded as one of the best prospects available in 2016. It makes sense that the Lakers want to see him in person. If the Philadelphia 76ers take Simmons first like many expect, Ingram will be there should the Lakers want him.
But just because the Lake Show has the second pick doesn't mean it should only focus on the consensus top two prospects in the draft pool. There are other players as well. Maybe some team will blow the Lakers away with a trade offer, and general manager Mitch ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
