The Los Angeles Lakers ushered in a new era in style Thursday at the 2015 NBA draft, shocking most onlookers near the top and broadcasting where the organization next turns its attention.
At No. 2, general manager Mitch Kupchak and Co. bucked conventional wisdom saying they would take one of the leftovers from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, instead taking Ohio State Buckeyes guard D'Angelo Russell.
While the Lakers did go on to add Wyoming Cowboys forward Larry Nance Jr. at No. 27, the organization's cards now sit on the table for everyone to see—the situation under the basket is the next order of business.
It should surprise no one, then, that the latest offerings from the rumor mill about the Lakers center on the painted area. Let's take a look.
Lakers Secure Coveted Big Men
Forget major free agents for a moment.
With the fate of Jordan Hill and others still unknown, it's clear that the Lakers need to do whatever they can to surround Julius Randle, last year's No. 7 overall pick, with talent.
This includes heading to the realm of undrafted free agency to scoop up a pair of talented big men. The Lakers did so with Robert Upshaw and Brandon Ashley, per Shams Charania of RealGM:
Ashley, out of Arizona, is an interesting prospect if he can add some bulk. He's a power forward but comes in at just 6'9" and 228 pounds. He averaged 12.2 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting last year, but the learning curve should prove steep.
Most interesting is Upshaw, he of character concerns but top-flight talent. Even ESPN.com's Chad Ford classified Upshaw's talent as that of "a lottery pick" before mentioning his getting kicked out of two schools (Fresno State and Washington).
CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein provided further context:
In other words, the Lak...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
