Lakers Draft Rumors: Brandon Ingram will reportedly go to Los Angeles second overall

According to the latest Lakers draft rumors, the idea of Brandon Ingram landing in Los Angeles is edging closer to a reality.

The speculation on how the first two selections in the 2016 NBA Draft will pan out between the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers appears to have reached it’s final stages on the eve of draft night.

ESPN has reported as of Wednesday that the Lakers have made the decision to go forward with former Duke standout Brandon Ingram if all goes as promised by Philadelphia.

As the 76ers also look for their next franchise player and building block this time around, ESPN has also reported that the team has reached out to Ben Simmons about where he is on their radar — a report that only further confirms the alleged decision on Ingram.

Los Angeles also introduced their new head coach in Luke Walton, who the team hopes can bring the young talent to full fruition, including Ingram if indeed selected by the storied franchise.

Per ESPN:

"While the team carefully vetted several other prospects including Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield and Providence’s Kris Dunn, the feeling within the organization was the Ingram provided both the best fit and the most upside for the team."

Landing Brandon Ingram will give the Lakers more clarity as the heat of free agency is also around the corner.

With more money than usually meets the imagination, Los Angeles will be ready to pull out all the strings it needs to in order to finally be successful on the open market.

After being shunned by major free agents in years prior, the Lakers would benefit greatly from even just one signing via free agency to add to their depth chart.

D’Angelo Russell was briefly rumored to be on the trade block, but that was before a trade was constructed and enacted upon between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks involving former league MVP Derrick Rose.

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Russell was thought to be worthy of shopping at one point, but the team seems to be ready to trust him with their future at the point guard position.

That being said, all of these updates still fail to answer the Lakers’ needs at center.

Their current rotation hasn’t been getting the job done, and if they expect to compete as Luke Walton and the rest of the front office hopes they will sooner rather than later, getting that position addressed is a necessity more than up for discussion.

Options at that position include Atlanta’s Al Horford, who seems to be still on the Hawks’ mind, but hasn’t made much noise as of yet on where he’ll decide to sign and play next season.

Dwight Howard could make a return to Los Angeles, but that possibility seems less likely considering how his last stint went and the exit and drama it created.

Ingram must come to Los Angeles ready to prove himself and understand that with the new coach and new vision, he has to be able to blaze his own trail and be confident in his own game from the get-go.

Of course there will be room for growing pains as there have been and will continue to be for D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle, but that doesn’t leave much for failure.

Next: Luke Walton Officially Introduced In Los Angeles

With the kind of promise that Ingram showed in his sole year of college ball, the Lakers would be making a wise choice if they do end up investing in him.