2. Jaden McDaniels
Another promising young star that the Los Angeles Lakers missed on in the 2020 NBA Draft was Jaden McDaniels, who was ironically taken with the Lakers’ pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The draft was not held in person so we didn’t have to see McDaniels put on a Lakers hat like DeAndre Hunter did in 2019, thankfully.
McDaniels is not close to the level that Bane is at right now and while Bane would have probably been the selection, McDaniels most likely would have been the second option. At the time, McDaniels seemed like a great fit.
He would still be a great fit on the Lakers today as he blossoms as a professional. He is still only 22 years old so there is a long way to go but we have started to see some of the potential that McDaniels has this season for Minnesota.
His three-point shot has not fully come around yet in the league but he has had moments where he had more than held his own from three. What McDaniels really brings to the table is great wing defense, which is something that Los Angeles has so desperately lacked since the 2020-21 season.
Jaden McDaniels tonight:
— MNMuse (@statmusewolves) November 10, 2022
24 PTS (Career high)
8 REB
71 FG%
50 3P%
+8
If only Jaden could play the whole game pic.twitter.com/V7GYmRZXq9
Instead of McDaniels, the Lakers have Juan Toscano-Anderson to essentially play the same role that McDaniels would play in LA. Toscano-Anderson is shooting 18.2% from three this season while not being close to the defender that McDaniels is.