The Los Angeles Lakers may not have a pick in this month’s NBA draft, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to acquire one.
During the introductory press conference for new head coach Darvin Ham, general manager Rob Pelinka said the team wants to obtain a second-round draft pick in order to get younger.
But that may not be the only way for the Lakers to find a rookie to develop this coming season.
According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, agents of players who will go undrafted consider the Lakers one of the main teams to get such players to sign with.
Via Los Angeles Times:
“The Lakers will again be among the tops of lists for agents with players who go undrafted, the team having so many holes to fill and the success of Austin Reaves as a template. And with two fewer players being drafted because of the Bulls and Heat forfeiting picks, the talent pool should be slightly better.”
Of course, Los Angeles has had success recently with undrafted rookies turning out to be useful players.
Reaves is the latest example, as he showed off a versatile skill set and instinctual feel for the game this season.
Before that, Alex Caruso became the classic example of an undrafted, unheralded player developing into a key role player, on a world championship team to boot.
With the Lakers lacking draft picks and young, tradable assets, it looks like they’re looking to make the most out of the limited resources they have to work with.
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