2017 NBA Draft: Lottery Point Guards the Lakers can Draft Instead of Lonzo Ball
By Jason Reed
Dennis Smith Jr. – North Carolina State
Wow, the 2017 NBA Draft class is riddled with freshman point guards ready to make their impact in the league. For this selection of Dennis Smith Jr., I think that the Lakers should do some trading in order to not waste a top three selection. If the Lakers wanted to secure Smith, they could easily trade down in the draft and still be able to land his talents.
Let’s say the lottery plays out exactly how the odds say it will (which is highly unlikely) and the Orlando Magic land the fifth overall selection. A perfect fit for the Magic would be Josh Jackson, however, the Magic would not want the Lakers or 76ers selecting Jackson – any suspicion would likely lead to deal.
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Then, the Lakers can add a future first round or second round pick solely for forfeiting two spots in the draft, and can land Dennis Smith Jr. In his freshman year leading North Carolina State, Smith Jr. posted 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. He likely would be the second or third scoring option on the Lakers, leading to him dishing the ball more and being a double-double machine for the Lakers.
While he would not have the same impact as Lonzo Ball or Markelle Fultz, if the Lakers wanted to bring in a point guard they could easily get this deal done – also setting them up for a future pick. However, the Lakers are seemingly looking for that superstar, and Smith Jr. may not be the guy.
Overall, the Lakers have plenty of point guard options to choose from in the 2017 NBA Draft. Heck, they might even opt to keep D’Angelo Russell at the point and draft a shooting guard instead to go alongside him. Regardless, if the Lakers manage to maintain their pick, they should have no problem reeling in a great talent.