The Los Angeles Lakers could get a hidden gem in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Unlike past seasons, the 2020 NBA Draft does not seem poised to be one that is exciting for the Los Angeles Lakers. After many years of picking within the lottery, the Lakers have seen themselves plummet (in a good way) down to the 28th overall pick in this November’s draft.
Even though the Lakers do not have a top-tier pick this year, they have an excellent track record in extracting the most production possible out of their late first-rounders and second-round draft selections.
Current Laker Kyle Kuzma, Pelicans guard Josh Hart, and Clippers center Ivica Zubac were all once unheralded draft picks and have all turned into NBA contributors. The last doesn’t stop there either. Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., and Thomas Bryant are all solid pieces in the Association.
This is precisely the reason why we can reasonably expect the Lakers to make an excellent choice on draft night next month. They have rightfully earned themselves the benefit of the doubt in scenarios of this ilk and it would not be surprising to see them land a key role player for the roster next year.
2019 draftee Talen Horton-Tucker also looked excellent in limited minutes and could easily be joined by another young piece to supplement the Lakers’ superstar core. The 2020 class appears to be one that is fairly weak at the top but is certainly deep in above-average role player type of prospects.
That helps the Lakers in a big way considering they will likely not have the privilege of securing a high-probability future star or anything even close to it if they did have a top-of-the-line selection.
In this article, we will take a look at five men who could develop into lottery level talents at the NBA level that could fall into the Lakers’ front office’s lap at the 28th overall pick.