The Los Angeles Lakers have drafted rather well the last few years. We take a look at how those draft picks are faring around the league.
Fans are justifiably excited about the success of the current Los Angeles Lakers team and its championship prospects. This squad has won 41 games and posted a .774 winning percentage, which projects to a 63-win season.
It all seems far removed from the rock-bottom season of 2015-16 when the team reached franchise lows by winning only 17 games and compiling a .207 winning percentage.
Several recipes could have been followed to try to reverse that course. The choice of Lakers‘ management was to try to lure free-agent stars to LA. As we all remember, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak were unsuccessful in their attempts to accomplish that.
Their replacements, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, initially experienced similar disappointment. But eventually, they were able to acquire superstars LeBron James in free agency and Anthony Davis (after Magic resigned) via trade.
Along the way, in the five collegiate drafts from 2014 to 2018, the Lakers selected a talented collection of players. Many fans grew fond of and formed attachments to the young players as they started to develop.
But ultimately those youngsters were used, directly or indirectly, to acquire James and Davis. Only one player drafted in those years remains on the current roster, fan-favorite Kyle Kuzma.
The other 13 players are scattered around the league. Let’s take a look at how each one is faring.