Taylor Hendricks
Taylor Hendricks had a fantastic freshman season for UCF and has all the makings of being a legitimate rotation player in the NBA. The six-nine forward can instantly get minutes as a rotation power forward that can space the floor while also providing solid wing defense as well.
Hendricks shot 39.4% in 4.6 threes attempted per game. That was not the only aspect of his game to be excited about, as he also averaged 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game. In today’s NBA, Hendricks fits in perfectly.
Hendricks is someone who really has versatility in today’s positionless NBA. He is a traditional power forward but he can play the three, can defend on the perimeter and can even play some small-ball five. It might take time for him to fully grow into this potential but he has all the makings of being a valuable playoff guy.
If Hendricks works in the NBA he is essentially going to be Jarred Vanderbilt with a jumper. Now that is exciting.
Taylor Hendricks is the least likely among these three to be drafted by the Lakers.
We include Hendricks on this list to detail what a dream scenario would look like for the Lakers. Because of what Hendricks would offer in today’s NBA, it seems unlikely that he would fall out of the lottery. He may never be a star but he has the perfect mold to be a solid role player.
It would take Hendricks falling or the Lakers implementing some kind of trade-up for the UCF forward to end up in Los Angeles. But if he did, it would be an absolute dream.