Lakers Considering Polarizing Draft Selection That Will Make Anthony Davis Happy
By Cem Yolbulan
The 2024 NBA Draft is less than ten days away and the NBA world is eagerly awaiting what the Los Angeles Lakers will do with their picks. Armed with the No. 17 and No. 55 picks in the draft, the Lakers are widely expected to pursue Bronny James and potentially trade their other selection for immediate veteran help.
At the same time, the Lakers are considering all of their options. This includes using the pick on a rookie prospect who can help them right away. One of their most recent pre-draft workouts is not only the best collegiate player in recent memory but would also make Anthony Davis very happy.
Zach Edey of Purdue who just won back-to-back National Player of the Year awards, worked out with the Lakers ahead of the draft. According to the list compiled by HoopsHype, Edey is only one of five projected first-round picks who worked out with the Lakers.
Zach Edey has conducted pre-draft workouts for the Jazz, Trail Blazers, Heat, Lakers, Pelicans, Raptors and Bucks, per @hoopshype (https://t.co/8B4pfNoF62).
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 16, 2024
Purdue’s star center is viewed as a top-20 pick who might sneak into the lottery. pic.twitter.com/FlKt2IHg5q
The 7-foot-4 center has been a dominant force in college basketball, scoring at will on one end and shutting off the rim on the other. In 2023-24, he averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. There are concerns about his mobility and athleticism at the next level, but his production and impact can't be denied. Therefore, he is widely projected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick, so he should be available for the Lakers at No. 17.
This is presumably good news for All-Star big man Anthony Davis. The 31-year-old has publicly made clear his preference to play power forward rather than center. However, over the past few seasons, he almost exclusively played center due to the decline in his shot and lack of frontcourt depth on the Lakers.
Bringing Edey in would allow Davis to play next to another big for extended stretches throughout the season. Edey will handle the physical brutes on the interior while Davis can conserve his energy and body for the postseason. Even though the best lineups for the Lakers are the ones that have AD as the lone big man, having someone like Edey would be valuable in keeping AD fresh during the regular season.
Whether the Lakers draft Edey or go another route remains to be seen. However, the Davis-Edey pairing would undoubtedly be a fascinating experiment if it came to fruition.
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