The Los Angeles Lakers could be looking for not just additional depth, but also for a good player or even an All-Star. To do so, they may end up looking to trade the No. 17 pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported on Friday.
In addition, they will have the No. 47 selection, which could turn out to be used on a viable player, especially if the past has been any indication. Los Angeles has hit on a number of second-round picks and even a couple of undrafted free agents in recent years.
One player they recently worked out is Matthew Mayer, a forward from Baylor University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Mayer has the potential to be a 3-and-D player
At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, Mayer may be best served playing the power forward position in the NBA, but it looks like he could also slide down and play the 3. Although he averaged double figures in scoring only once in his five-year college career, he looks to be a potent scorer.
Mayer can hit from the outside, and he is a pretty high-volume 3-point shooter. He shot 39.5 percent from downtown during the 2020-21 season, but this past season he was at only 33.0 percent, and the year prior, he made just 32.4 percent of such attempts.
His 3-point accuracy this past season was pretty solid until the final five games of the regular season, so his overall percentage on the year may be a bit misleading.
The Texas native also has some ability to create and score off the dribble, as well as get buckets after moving without the ball.
Defensively, he is capable of guarding players at multiple positions. During the 2022-23 campaign, he averaged 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocked shots a game.
At age 23, Mayer may have limited upside and room for growth compared to other prospects. But he may be a decent option in the second round of the draft.
