The Los Angeles Lakers may have the second overall pick, but who they end up drafting depends entirely on what the Philadelphia 76ers do with theirs
Since the NBA draft lottery results came out, the topic of debate among Lakers’ Nation has been dominated by talk of Brandon Ingram versus Ben Simmons. However, while it’s one thing to have a preference for which player you prefer personally, at the end of the day, the decision ultimately rests with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Just last week, Bleacher Reports’ Kevin Ding let it be known that the 76ers were “leaning heavily towards taking Simmons,” and general manager, Bryan Colangelo’s comments regarding the “Ben Simmons to LA” rumors seemed to support this… at least at first.
In another exclusive interview with Bleacher Report Radio, Colangelo said,
"There’s been a lot of that [rumors] floating around. I know that some people like to poison the well. You know, we’ve got good relationships with the agent, we’ve got good relationships with the family, because Brett Brown has known Ben Simmons’ father for years."
Hearing this, it seemed like Colangelo was affirming the rumors but he quickly followed this up by also talking about Brandon Ingram.
"We also know Brandon Ingram’s people very well, whether it’s his agent or obviously his college coach. . . We have already spoken with Brandon Ingram at the Chicago combine. We’re going to do that soon with Ben Simmons… The plan is to have him come into Philadelphia for some visits as well and work out with us."
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The most telling thing Colangelo said, however, was when he revealed how they would be selecting the first pick.
“The bottom line is, we’re going to pick the player that we think is the best fit for our team and the best piece for us to build around, and with.”
The first part of this statement goes directly against what former GM Sam Hinkie stood for, drafting the best player available, regardless of fit. But the latter part of the comment seems to contradict this.
In regards to fit, both Ingram and Simmons would easily be able to slide into the 76ers lineup, as they are relatively thin at both the power foward and small forward position. All things being equal, that would mean they would be drafting the player with the highest ceiling, which most agree is Simmons.
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Only time will tell what the 76ers will do with their pick, but for now Colangelo has the best advice: to take all rumors with a grain of salt.