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2 players from National Championship that the Lakers could draft

By Jason Reed

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears drives to the basket against Justin Gorham #4 of the Houston Cougars in the first half during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears drives to the basket against Justin Gorham #4 of the Houston Cougars in the first half during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Gonzaga prospect to watch: Joel Ayayi, guard

  • Tankathon ranking: 30
  • ESPN ranking: 62

As you can see, our two big boards are split on Joel Ayayi. It would be a bit of a reach for the Los Angeles Lakers to pick Ayayi from 21-25 but at the end of the day, the most important thing is that the team picks someone who they really like, not someone who falls in range on big boards.

I could see the Lakers trading back for Joel Ayayi, though. In the perfect-case scenario the team could trade its first-round pick for an NBA talent and a second-round pick, where they can take Ayayi; again, as long as they like Ayayi.

Ayayi is also a combo guard who is athletic and can be a plus contributor on both sides of the court. Ayayi also has experience playing with the French National Youth team, giving him more than just NCAA experience, which should help his progression in the league.

Ayayi is averaging 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He is far from being a traditional point guard but he can play the position as a combo guard who primarily plays at the two.

He is not the most prolific shooter, but he is good enough. He shot 39.4% on three attempts beyond the arc per game.

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It is important to note that Ayayi is only a junior and there is no guarantee that he declares for the 2021 NBA Draft. However, with Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert heading to the league, it would not be very shocking to see him join them.

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