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Los Angeles Lakers 2018 NBA Draft profile: Gary Trent Jr.

By Jason Reed

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Gary Trent Jr. #2 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates a three point basket against the Rhode Island Rams during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Gary Trent Jr. #2 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates a three point basket against the Rhode Island Rams during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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With the 25th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft, Duke shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. is an interesting prospect for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers need guard depth, in particular, shooting guard, heading into the NBA offseason. The best way to add depth before the free agency frenzy really begins is through the 2018 NBA Draft, in which the Lakers own the 25th overall pick.

Los Angeles is lucky, though, as there are a lot of solid late-round prospects that will be able to be a productive shooting guard in the NBA. In recent years, the Lakers have excelled with late-round picks such as Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Larry Nance Jr. and second-round pick Jordan Clarkson.

The Lakers’ front office is obviously looking to extend this good streak of draft selections. One of the prospects the team will be looking at to extend that luck is Duke freshman shooting guard Gary Trent Jr.

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Trent already has NBA size, which makes him stand out from his other shooting guard peers. Trent measures in at just under six-foot-six and 210 pounds with a wingspan just under 6’9″ and a vertical of just under 40 inches.

Since Trent is a freshman and will be 19 for the majority of his rookie season, he has a ton of time to grow and could realistically tack on another inch or two. His frame shows that he can add some muscle mass as well.

Despite being 19, Trent has already shown a great basketball IQ that should allow him to succeed in any NBA system. Trent is a great hustle player and is not afraid of contact or physicality when it comes to scoring the basketball.

And that is where Trent excels the most. At the college level, Trent was a very proficient scorer. Trent averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the arc. He attempted more shots from downtown (6.5) than inside the perimeter (5.0) per game at Duke.

He has shown the ability to mold into a prolific scorer from all areas of the court. However, early in his career, Trent will serve as a heat check three-point shooter off the bench. Trent would give the Lakers that catch-and-shoot specialist that they are missing and may be one of the best in the draft.

As he improves playing above the rim, which he currently struggles at, he can turn into a fine player on all aspects of the court.

His defense may be exposed in the NBA, however, his size and physicality will make it easier to mask any defensive deficiencies. And while he may struggle at rebounding the basketball, the Lakers would be using him in a role that would not require proficient rebounding capabilities.

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Overall, Trent is the perfect selection for the Los Angeles Lakers if the team wants a young, score-first guard that they can mold into whatever system they want. If the Lakers want someone who is more experienced and is ready to help in all areas of the game, Trent is not the guy for them.

All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference. 

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