After an abysmal, worst-in-franchise-history regular season, Lakers fans finally have something to smile about but a ton of questions still remain
First things first, the firing of Byron Scott and subsequent hiring of Luke Walton alone is already cause enough for celebration. Although Walton is relatively inexperienced, it is widely believed he is the right man for the job, someone who will relate well to the Lakers’ young core and install an offense that makes best use of their talents.
In addition, on Tuesday the Lakers’ good fortune continued as they landed the second overall pick in the 2016 draft. Experts agree that the Lakers will land one of two players, Ben Simmons of LSU or Brandon Ingram of Duke, who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack and the Lakers presumably would be happy with either man.
The 6-10 Simmons has terrific court vision, is a great passer and has a skill set comparable to that of Lamar Odom, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, but he has yet to display any sort of outside shot. Still, Bleacher Reports’ Kevin Ding wrote that league sources indicate the Philadelphia 76ers are ‘leaning heavily’ towards selecting Simmons with the number one pick.
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Ingram, on the other hand, is a sleek, athletic 6-9 forward who is equally adept at slashing to the basket but can also knock down 3-point shots. He is most reminiscent of Kevin Durant or Anthony Davis, but the concern now is whether his wire-thin frame will hold up in the NBA.
Since the Lakers will almost certainly take whichever player Philadelphia does not, the pressure is off general manager, Mitch Kupchak, as there will likely be little second-guessing about their pick. Instead he can focus on all the other work that needs to be done to fill out the Lakers roster.
Though talented, the young group may be in need of complementary veterans leaving Kupchak with a series of questions that must be answered.
Next: First Things First...
Who should they choose with their 32nd pick?
They’ve done well with late picks as of late, drafting Jordan Clarkson two years ago, Larry Nance Jr. last year and perhaps even Anthony Brown, last year’s second-rounder, can still find a way to contribute.
The draft is definitely top heavy but there are still some gems to be found at the bottom of the rubble. Thon Maker is an interesting prospect who the Lakers will definitely be interested in if he falls all the way to the 32nd pick, which seems unlikely at this point.
If they do indeed draft Simmons or Ingram to play small forward, does that mean they will not pursue free agents such as Nicolas Batum or Harrison Barnes?
Simmons and Ingram could both slide into the roll of small forward so signing a player like Batum, Barnes or even KD could be redundant. This leads directly into the next question…
Will the Lakers re-sign Clarkson?
Or will they instead pursue guard DeMar DeRozan, as has been widely speculated? Or perhaps they will try to sign both?
And will they re-sign any of the back-up players from this year’s team, such as point guard Marcelo Huertas, third-string center/cheerleader Robert Sacre, and ageless fan favorite Metta World Peace?
Next: Who Will Fill the Gap at Center?
Who will be the Lakers starting center next season?
A strong defensive-oriented big man would seem to be their top free agent market priority, that is besides signing Kevin Durant but how strongly will they go after the top two studs, Andre Drummond (who Detroit will almost certainly re-sign) or Hassan Whiteside (who will be pursued by any number of teams)?
The next tier includes two former Lakers’ centers, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol (assuming each opts out of their current contracts) and a host of others, such as Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Festus Ezeli, among others. Odds have it that one of them is more than likely to be in a Lakers’ uniform this upcoming season.
What about Tarik Black?
Black had a good relationship with Walton during his college days at Memphis when Walton was an assistant coach there and he would seem to fit well as an energetic back-up center.
What other free agents will they attempt to sign?
The big names are obviously Kevin Durant and maybe even LeBron James, but who are the other lower tier free agents that the Los Angeles Lakers will pursue.
Next: Luke Walton Trolled By Golden State Warriors' PR Man
An intriguing off-season is guaranteed to continue for fans of the Purple and Gold, so stay tuned for all the answers this summer.