Recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors involve Maryland shooting guard Kevin Huerter, who has reportedly received a promise from the team.
Los Angeles Lakers rumors have really begun picking up in recent days. With the 2018 NBA Draft less than a week away, teams are putting the final touches on their draft boards and getting last minute workouts in.
While missing the postseason is disappointing, one benefit for the Lakers is that they got a head start on preparations for the offseason. Los Angeles owns the No. 25 and No. 47 overall picks in the 2018 NBA Draft and will be looking to add to their young core with those selections.
The Lakers are going to go big fish hunting in free agency. If they are successful, they will need cheap, controllable talent to help keep their salary low. The draft picks should provide that.
Throughout the offseason, we have seen a few different Lakers rumors pertaining to draft prospects. Early on, it was reported that the Lakers had made a promise to center Mitchell Robinson at the NBA Combine.
That report was shot down soon after, but it wasn’t long before another rumor surfaced that the Lakers were seriously considering Mitchell with the No. 25 pick.
Fast forward a few weeks and news of another promise made by the Lakers has been reported. According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, there is a growing belief around the league that it was the Lakers, at No. 25, who made a promise to Maryland shooting guard, Kevin Huerter.
There’s a growing belief around the league that the Lakers are the team that promised Kevin Huerter at No. 25.
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) June 14, 2018
At this stage, reports of this nature need to be taken with a grain of salt. In addition to the reports about Mitchell, the Lakers have also been linked to Texas Tech guard, Zhaire Smith. Los Angeles is reportedly angling to move up the draft board to select Smith, who could be selected near the end of the lottery.
More from Lake Show Life
- Darvin Ham adds to Max Christie hype train after Lakers preseason opener
- Is LeBron James playing tonight? Latest Lakers vs Warriors update
- Can Darvin Ham put all of the Lakers puzzle pieces together?
- Lakers news: Darvin Ham knows his fifth starter, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino praise
- Michael Malone’s painfully ironic comment has Lakers fans heated
Smith is unlikely to fall to the Lakers, and the same probably goes for Huerter. Huerter has been shooting up draft boards recently because of his performance the NBA Combine. He was arguably the best shooter there and one of the best shooters in this year’s class.
Huerter was not able to display his whole arsenal while at Maryland, but he is also a solid playmaker and rebounder for his size.
His size is also appealing to teams. At 6’7″, he can defend multiple positions. He is very similar to Kyle Korver. Both are excellent shooters who are slept on by some people in other facets of their game.
Huerter did have surgery on his hand that is expected to sideline him for two months. That could cause his stock to drop a little bit, which may put him back in play for the Lakers.
Next: Lakers: 5 Options at No. 25 In 2018 NBA Draft
If he is available at No. 25, he is someone they will have to seriously consider. He checks off a lot of boxes that the Lakers are looking for. His 3-point shooting would be a welcome addition to a team who has ranked near the bottom of the NBA in 3-pointers in recent seasons.