Los Angeles Lakers: Post-Combine 2018 NBA Draft big board

1. Mitchell Robinson, C

This goes against every precedent we set with the four guys prior to Mitchell Robinson. If you follow the Los Angeles Lakers, you’ve probably already heard about Robinson and the Lakers.

There was a report that the Los Angeles Lakers had promised Robinson that they would draft him if he was still available come the 25th overall pick. However, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, those reports were indeed not fact-based at all (h/t SB Nation).

None of this takes away from the intrigue that Robinson brings to the table, especially the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers need size down low, center is the team’s weakest position and although Julius Randle played solid, he is not a conventional center.

With the 25th overall pick, the Lakers have the chance to draft someone that could progress into an all-star center in Robinson. The catch? He did not play any college basketball. After some controversy with Western Kentucky University, Robinson decided he would prepare for the NBA Draft instead.

Were Robinson to play, he could have played his way into being a top-five pick. Without any college experience, though, he becomes a huge risk that NBA teams may not be willing to take.

With a young core already established the Los Angeles Lakers can afford to take a risk on Mitchell Robinson. If it works out, the Lakers will have something extremely special. If not, it was not their draft pick, anyway.

Next: Why the Lakers should trade for LeBron

Chances are that Robinson is leaning more towards the former rather than the latter.