Los Angeles Lakers: Everything we learned from the 2018 NBA Draft

1. The draft selections were tailored to LeBron James

We actually posted an entire article on this as an immediate reaction right after the draft had ended. Now that we have had a day to sit on our sentiments, it still stands true that the Los Angeles Lakers picked their players with LeBron James in mind.

In the first round, the Lakers selected big man Moritz Wagner. Wagner can play either the power forward or center position and is a proficient rebounder at six-foot-eleven. More importantly, Wagner excels at stretching the floor and knocking down three-point shots. He was one of the best shooting big men in this draft.

However, Wagner can struggle on defense, making him a role player at most that can come in off the bench and score baskets. Sounds like a discounted Kevin Love or Chris Bosh.

In the second round, the Lakers selected Kansas shooting guard Svi Mykhailiuk. Mykhailiuk broke the school record for three-pointers made at Kansas and was one of the best under-the-radar shooters in this draft.

Like Wagner, he may not have a complete enough game to compete in the starting lineup. However, he should excel as a sparkplug scorer that can come in off the bench and be the knockdown shooter.

Sounds like Kyle Korver and Ray Allen.

These are the exact player molds that LeBron James thrives alongside. With not enough space to add bench pieces alongside James and another max guy, the Lakers needed to use the draft to select those role players.

That may be why the team traded for an additional second-round pick to draft a project in Isaac Bonga, who will be a draft-and-store talent that will spend another few years overseas. Los Angeles needed to add those role players but still wanted a prospect with a ceiling.