The NBA Draft will determine if the Lakers will once again be contending for a title in the near future. The Lakers cannot miss on this pick, otherwise the rebuilding process will take much longer than expected.
-== How The Top 5 NBA Prospects Fit With The Lakers ==-
The Lakers could still deal the pick for the right offer, but it seems unlikely that any team will provide the Lakers with an all-star caliber player.
One former Lakers feels pretty good about the Lakers next season and it starts with the draft on June 25th. According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Mychal Thompson believes the Lakers will go with Jahlil Okafor and reach the Western Conference semi-finals next season:
"According to Thompson, the Lakers will draft Duke’s Jahlil Okafor with their No. 2 pick. Kobe Bryant will stay healthy in the 2015-16 season after nursing three season-ending injuries in consecutive years. The Lakers will advance to the Western Conference semifinals after finishing this season with the team’s worst record in franchise history."
That’s a strong prediction from Thompson, but he does have a good track record. Thompson predicted his son, Klay, would be in the NBA Finals against the Cavs. Well, he was right, so let’s hope he is correct one more time.
The Okafor prediction is not very farfetched, most believe the Lakers will select the Duke big man second overall. However, to think the Lakers will reach the Western Conference semi-finals is very optimistic. The Lakers will need to attack free agency aggressively and hope they can lure some talented players to Los Angeles.