The NBA Draft is less than a month away, which means all we can do until that point is speculate. Who will the Lakers end up with? Will they go with Duke big man Jahlil Okafor or will Karl Anthony-Towns fall to number two? Players like D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay will be available as well, but are the Lakers willing to pass up on a big man?
-== 5 Determining Factors for Lakers’ Julius Randle’s Future ==-
Those are the questions that will be answered on June 25th. The Lakers need to get this pick right, otherwise this rebuilding process could take longer than expected.
Julius Randle was drafted last year, but this will be essentially his rookie season after only playing in the season opener last season. Who is going to join Randle in the frontcourt? According to Bill Oram of the OC Register, Randle wouldn’t mind having an all-Kentucky frontcourt:
Asked Julius Randle about an all-Kentucky frontcourt if Lakers draft Towns. He chuckled and said, "It wouldn't be bad at all."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) May 28, 2015
Kentucky is a big time program and with John Calipari in charge, they usually land the best recruits in the country. Two years ago it was Randle who took the Wildcats to the National Championship and last year Towns got them to the Final Four.
The idea of both of them wearing purple and gold sounds promising, but Randle didn’t want to come out and directly say it. Although they didn’t play with each other, the Calipari connection could be something that can help on the court.
Despite earlier reports that Okafor might be favored by the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s unlikely Towns will fall to the second spot. Okafor is a good consolation prize and a Randle-Okafor tandem doesn’t sound bad either.