Best Lakers Draft Pick & Free Agent Pairings

To build through free agency, or the through the draft?  The debate will never end as to what is the better approach for rebuilding franchises, but the Lakers might just do both.  With the lottery coming up, the Lakers are destined for a top five draft pick, which would be their first since 1982.  To add to that, the Lakers have some cash to spend this summer, which can make for a very busy off-season for the Lakers front office.

-== Lakers Draft Evaluations: Comparing Then & Now ==-

We love Kobe Bryant, but it’s all about the future.  There is little chance that the Lakers can be championship contenders next year, so 3-4 years should be the target for getting back to elite status. In order to do so, the Lakers have to make the right selection in the draft and pair him with some talent in free agency.

As for deciding which prospects to feature on this list, I first included the same four players that have been on top of every draft board since the beginning of 2015: Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, Emmanuel Mudiay, and D’Angelo Russell.  Also, I added in Justise Winslow, who the Lakers reportedly met with at the NBA Draft Combine just a few days ago.  The last prospect on this list in Stanley Johnson, who although is projected to go a little higher (7-10 range), will have no problem impressing the Lakers staff at private workouts with his standout athleticism and competitiveness.

As for the others, the Lakers haven’t seemed to show much interest in the top European prospects in this draft (Mario Hezonja and Kristaps Porzingis).  Willie Cauley-Stein is an intriguing prospect, but with the Lakers desperate for talent, he’s not at the level of some of the other top guys on the draft board.

The free agent class this summer is loaded with talent, and it is very unlikely that the Lakers will come out with nothing like they have the last few summers.

Also, note that the free agents that are 99% likely to re-sign with their teams, or pick up their player options (LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, and Dwyane Wade) were not considered for this list.

So which free agents would go great with some of the best prospects of this draft class? Let’s find out.

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