Now, that the NBA Finals are over, all the attention is now on the NBA Draft, which will be held next Thursday. Still, the consensus is that Jahlil Okafor and Karl Anthony-Towns will go 1-2 at the top of the draft.
The Lakers have a tough decision to make. Do they draft a big man or do they go with a guard instead. What about an international player?
International product Kristaps Porzingis’ stock has been rising fast, and on Monday night the Lakers brought in Porzingis for a surprising private workout, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
"Every day, front-office fascinations rise with Porzingis. Every day, he’s moving himself closer into contention to become one of the top three picks in the NBA draft on June 25. Los Angeles Lakers officials conducted a workout of Porzingis on Monday night at the franchise’s El Segundo, Calif., practice facility, league sources told Yahoo Sports."
Porzingis has recently moved up on many mock draft boards after he worked out in Las Vegas in front of some NBA executives. But it still will be a shock if Porzingis is chosen ahead of Okafor, Towns, and even D’Angelo Russell.
Porzingis is a seven-footer who can shoot the long ball and block shots. He has all the tools to be a force in this league, but the Lakers have to get this pick right. Is he worth taking a risk with the number two pick? That’s for Kupchak to decide and we will find out on June 25th.