According to recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors, the team was the only one to receive medicals from and work out Isaac Bonga.
There have been plenty of Los Angeles Lakers rumors this offseason. The Lakers were active early in free agency, snagging LeBron James and then filling out their roster around him. The 2018 NBA Draft also provided the Lakers with some players to round out their roster with.
The Lakers ended up making three selections in the 2018 NBA Draft. In the first round, with the No. 25 overall pick, Los Angeles selected Moritz Wagner. In the second round, the Lakers surprised some people.
At No. 47, the Lakers selected Kansas forward, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. The 39th overall pick is what surprised some people. At No. 39, the Lakers selected German point-forward, Isaac Bonga.
If that second name is one you are unfamiliar with, you are not alone. However, he was on some radars during the pre-draft process, as he was bringing attention to Frankfurt.
Bonga is an intriguing prospect. He has great size and length, standing 6-feet-9 inches tall but plays point guard. However, he is an extremely raw prospect. He also has a long way to go developing his body, as he weighs only 179 pounds.
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Despite that, Bonga was receiving interest from teams as a draft-and-stash prospect. That would give him a chance to play and develop overseas without taking up a roster spot or eating into a team’s cap space.
That is not what Bonga’s representatives wanted for him. Bonga’s agents wanted him playing in the United States as soon as possible, and the Lakers presented him a chance to do so.
According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, the Lakers were the only team to have a workout with Bonga. They hosted him at their facility in late May.
"“He had worked out privately at the team’s El Segundo headquarters on May 24. The Lakers were the only team he worked out for … While some teams considered Bonga a draft-and-stash candidate, his representatives at Wasserman stressed their desire to have him in the NBA – or development league – next season.”"
In addition to the workout, the Lakers were the only team in the NBA to also receive his medical information.
Lakers were obviously super high on Bonga. They shut him down VERY early in the process after bringing him in for a workout, and traded Chicago's 2019 2nd rounder to make sure they got him (also had #47). Bonga didn't work out for any other team, and didn't send out his medicals. https://t.co/eaL6HyP7lQ
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) July 6, 2018
As Jonathan Givony states, the Lakers were very high on Bonga, and their actions leading up to and during the 2018 NBA Draft would back that up. Bonga will be in the Lakers pipeline this season, as they signed him to a three-year deal worth just under $4.1 million dollars, fully guaranteed.
Bonga will probably spend a majority of this season in the G League with the South Bay Lakers. He needs the reps to develop and he won’t be able to get them with the Lakers.
The Lakers backcourt is currently logjammed. Lonzo Ball and Rajon Rondo will handle point guard with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Josh Hart, Lance Stephenson and Mykhailiuk handling shooting guard. There just isn’t enough minutes for Bonga with the NBA team, and he probably isn’t ready for NBA minutes yet.
Playing in the G League will provide him consistent minutes to continue working on and improving his game. If he is receiving minutes with the Lakers this season, something has gone terribly wrong.