The Los Angeles Lakers currently do not have a selection in Thursday’s 2022 NBA Draft as the team traded away both its first and second-round pick. However, the Lakers are seemingly interested in buying a pick in the second round so it may just be a matter of time.
It stung not having a first-round selection this year as the Lakers turned in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. Los Angeles missed the play-in altogether and ended up giving the New Orleans Pelicans the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
But what if things were different? The Lakers originally had their pick in last year’s draft and what if for whatever reason they traded their 2021 pick to New Orleans instead of the 2022 pick. If that were to happen, who in this draft would LA be targeting with the eighth pick?
There are three prospects who would have been great for the Los Angeles Lakers with the eighth pick.
1. Keegan Murray
Keegan Murray is not projected to fall to the eighth overall pick as he is seemingly projected to go in the 5-6 range. However, it is not impossible for a prospect to fall a few spots in the draft and if Murray does fall to eight then the Lakers would be kicking themselves.
Outside of the obvious top four that have dominated this class, Murray would be the most exciting player to play on the Los Angeles Lakers next season and beyond. He is a stretch-four candidate with good size and slashing ability that would essentially be the Lakers’ new version of Kyle Kuzma (with a better shot and higher ceiling).
He is better defensively than Kuzma and as a lottery pick could end up being a better version of the player mold that Kuzma has become. One of the few drawbacks about Murray is his age relative to the rest of the class but that would be a plus for the Lakers, who would want a player that is ready to produce in year one.