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4 recent lottery picks the Lakers can sign in free agency

By Jason Reed

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 26: Kevin Knox II #5 of the Atlanta Hawks loses a rebound out of bounds against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at State Farm Arena on January 26, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 26: Kevin Knox II #5 of the Atlanta Hawks loses a rebound out of bounds against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at State Farm Arena on January 26, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

2. Elfrid Payton

Elfrid Payton is not as recent of a lottery pick as the others on this list as he was taken with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Payton was young when he was drafted so while he was drafted eight years ago, he will still only be 28 years old when the 2022-23 season begins.

Payton has not peaked athletically yet and you could still make the case that his best basketball is ahead of him on the right team. Granted, it has been so long that we can safely say he won’t live up to the expectations of the 10th overall pick. But there is still something there.

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Payton has bounced around a bit as he has played on four different teams in eight seasons. His most recent stop was with the Phoenix Suns, where he averaged just 11 minutes off the bench in 50 games played last season.

The biggest issue with Payton has always been his offensive limitations as he is not much of a jump-shooter and his ability to finish at the rim never really blossomed enough to make up for the lack of a jump shot. That offensive inability has masked a lot of defensive potential for Payton.

Payton posted a 1.2 Defensive Box Plus/Minus and with his size and wing span, there has always been a lot of potential there as a perimeter defender. After all, he has averaged 1.6 steals per 36 minutes throughout his NBA career.

The Lakers need defense and while Payton would be awful to play next to Russell Westbrook, he could be someone the Lakers play next to Malik Monk just so there is some kind of positive defensive impact in the backcourt.

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