Los Angeles Lakers: Could Markelle Fultz fall in the 2017 NBA Draft?
By Asha Doucet
There’s a league-wide consensus that Washington’s Markelle Fultz will go to the Boston Celtics No.1 overall, but there’s a chance he could he fall to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2.
Markelle Fultz recently had a workout with the Celtics that was not overly impressive. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman spoke about Fultz’s workout with Boston.
"“From what I’m told, Fultz didn’t shoot the ball exceptionally well in his workout in Boston, but they know he can shoot the ball. So, it’s one workout. … I still think it’s gonna be Fultz at (No. 1), Lonzo Ball at (No. 2).”"
Although Goodman believes Fultz’s workout won’t hurt his draft stock, earlier in the year the Celtics showed some interest in Lonzo Ball. Couple that interest with Fultz’s poor shooting performance, and Boston may actually be looking toward Lonzo even more.
For argument’s sake, if Fultz’s workout changed some minds in the Celtics’ organization, that would mean he would be available to the Lakers at No.2. As much as Lonzo will fit in L.A. with his great passing skills and the ability to make everyone around him better, Fultz would also be a great option for the purple and gold because he’s a guard with prolific scoring ability from anywhere on the court. His offensive prowess would be great for the Lakers alongside D’Angelo Russell.
The bottom line is that Fultz is a catch and the Celtics would be foolish to pass on him because of one bad workout. However, teams have over thought their way out of a franchise-changing player before. If his off shooting performance costs him the No.1 overall pick, the Lakers would gladly take him at No.2.
L.A. is even hoping to bring Fultz in for a meeting with the organization soon. Not only would Fultz’s presence mean Russell could keep his starting job at point, but it would ensure L.A. has a bonafide scorer in the event they trade away Jordan Clarkson.
Next: Who do the Lakers land in our complete first round mock draft?
Do you think there is a chance the Celtics will pass on Markelle Fultz? If so, do you think the Lakers should draft him instead of Josh Jackson or De’Aaron Fox? Let us know what you think in the comments below.