Los Angeles Lakers land their dream prospect in 2017 NBA Mock Draft
By Nick Ziegler
After a really disappointing finish to their postseason, the Toronto Raptors are poised to have a very interesting offseason. For their playoff run, the Raptors added forward Serge Ibaka with the hope that he would help them get over the hump in the Eastern Conference. Despite adding Ibaka, the Raptors were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.
Now, the Raptors not only have Ibaka as a free agent, but they could also lose Kyle Lowry this offseason. Losing either one or both would certainly hurt the Raptors, and they might have to use this draft to start thinking about the future.
With the 23rd overall pick, the Raptors will be selecting Bam Adebayo from Kentucky. As Kentucky began to improve at the end of the season, Adebayo also began to play much better. Last season, Adebayo averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. Toward the end of the season, Adebayo had some big double-doubles in the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
Like most Kentucky players, Adebayo will just be sticking around in college for the one season. As a young big man, Adebayo certainly has a lot of growing to do as a basketball player. With Ibaka and Patrick Patterson both being free agents, Adebayo could help the Raptors replenish some of what they could be losing in the frontcourt.