– Devonte’ Graham
Finally, another player that the Lakers should have drafted over Wagner is Devonte’ Graham of the Charlotte Hornets. Like Wagner, Graham had a quiet rookie season but Graham has broken out in his second season in the NBA.
In his rookie season, Graham averaged just 4.7 points per game. However, this season, in an expanded role, Graham has emerged as arguably the best player on the Hornets. In his second season, Graham is averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Despite being drafted in the second round, Graham is emerging as one of the best players in the entire draft class. Like the Lakers, every other team essentially passed on Graham. While the Lakers might have been looking for a big man with the 25th pick, they could certainly use Graham at the point guard position now.
With point guard being a need for the Lakers this season, having a player like Graham would have solved a lot of problems. As Graham continues to grow as a player for the Hornets, a future All-Star appearance could be in the near future for him. Seeing his growth from year one to year two should have the Hornets excited about his future. While playing Monday morning quarterback, Graham would have been a great pick by the Lakers.