1. Trevion Williams, PF, Purdue
One of the things that the Los Angeles Lakers might be considering is age. If the Lakers are looking for someone who can contribute to the team right away and is not as much of a work in progress then they should be looking to draft prospects who have played as many season as possible in college.
Trevion Williams is a senior from Purdue who will be 22 years old by the time the 2022-23 season starts. NBADraft.Net ranks him as the 60th overall prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft but continued strong showings in the tournament could bolster that ranking.
Williams is not the new wave of stretch fours that have hit the NBA and that is naturally hurting his draft stock. If he were to have come up in the early 2000s then he probably would be ranked higher because of the game he plays.
He is a traditional four but could also play some center at the NBA level as well. He does have some range and is not someone who has to simply live in the paint. Williams is a physical, 6-10 four who averaged just under a double-double a game.
The Lakers do not have a traditional power forward to back up Anthony Davis and Williams could be that option next season.