Lakers Rumors: De’Andre Hunter considered at No. 4 pick in mock drafts

There have been plenty of Los Angeles Lakers rumors recently as they prepare for the 2019 NBA Draft. We take an in-depth look at De’Andre Hunter, someone mock drafts have as the selection of the Lakers.

This has been a very bad week for Lakers rumors to be surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers, thanks to Magic Johnson‘s flame thrower First Take interview. Couple that with an extremely awkward press conference a couple of hours later, it reminds fans of potential gloom and doom when it comes to max level free agents being signed in the summer.

Which means the Los Angeles Lakers have to make a slam dunk decision with the No. 4 pick in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. There is no controlling what Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Kyrie Irving will do with their careers. The Lakers CAN control getting the best player available that can help build the roster immediately and more importantly in the future after LeBron James exits his contract stage left.

Lake Show Life has placed our draft coverage under the Lakers rumors label based on the fact that mock drafts can and will change on a daily basis. We will be considering conflicting reports, other team rumors and the fact that the New York Knicks can go against the grain and possibly shock everyone in the draft.

So, it is important for all potential players in the Lakers draft range be thoroughly analyzed so you the Lakers fan will have pertinent information leading up to June 20th.

The Lake Show Life staff prayed for Zion Williamson and did not get them answered. So we did the next best thing and broke down the talents of both of his teammates, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish here.

We’ve shined the light on Darius Garland, the point guard out of Vanderbilt, who was reportedly given a “promise” at the NBA Draft combine in this in-depth breakdown. Garland was initially the Lakers 4th pick according to ESPN’s mock draft during the draft lottery.

Boy things change quickly when it comes to mock drafts. Now it seems that NCAA championship hero, De’Andre Hunter out of Virginia, has crept into the Lakers 4th selection in the draft after the heart he showed stepping up late in the title game, knocking down a huge 3-point shot to send the game into OT.

He has now placed himself firmly in the five options the Lakers have to select in a very important draft that will define the future of the franchise.

This piece of information needs to be mentioned to magnify the importance of De’Andre Hunter to the success of the University of Virginia and their greatest accomplishment in comparison to their biggest failure the season before.

The Virginia Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in back to back years going into the NCAA tournament. When Hunter was injured and did not play, the Cavaliers became the first top seed to lose to a 16 seed. When Hunter played in this past tournament, the Cavaliers are champions.

This is not a coincidence folks. The dude can play.

Look, it is understood that the Lakers are loaded at the wing position with Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and the best player on the team in LeBron James. But one of the things the Lakers have to figure out in the upcoming weeks is drafting for need or the “best player available”.

If you need an example of the draft for need scenario blowing up in a franchise’s face, let’s take it back to 1984 when the Portland Trail Blazers passed over Michael Jordan and drafted Sam Bowie because they needed a center. Jordan turned out to be a pretty good player while Sam Bowie was a journeyman with one of his stops being in Los Angeles playing for the Lakers.

Oops.

The Los Angeles Lakers also have a three-year (presumably) window with LeBron James in a Lakers uniform. As long as he is playing in purple and gold, the mission statement is to win now. The Lakers have no time for long-term player development.

Let’s take a look at the new topic of Lakers rumors these days, De’Andre Hunter.