As of now, the Los Angeles Lakers have solid backcourt depth with D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves starting and Dennis Schroder, Lonnie Walker IV and Malik Beasley as reserves.
But their backcourt rotation could look very different next season. Russell, Reaves, Schroder and Walker will be free agents this summer, and Beasley has a team option for next season.
Therefore, a reinforcement — or two, or three — could be needed before training camp commences at the end of this summer.
Los Angeles could end up looking to the 2023 NBA draft to replenish their guard depth, as they will have the No. 17 and No. 47 picks. One guard prospect they recently worked out is Nadir Hifi.
Hifi is a small and intriguing backcourt player
Over the past two decades, the international leagues have yielded more and more serviceable or even stellar NBA players. Perhaps Hifi could end up having a future in the league.
At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he is an undersized but fairly athletic guard who can score. Playing for Le Portel, a pro team in France, for the last three seasons, he averaged 16.8 points a game while shooting 46.5% overall this past season.
Hifi is quick with the ball in his hands, and he is a skilled on-the-ball scorer who loves to penetrate and attack the paint, both in the halfcourt and on the fast break. He shot 84.1% during the 2022-23 season from the free throw line, and he can be a bit of a free-throw magnet.
The 20-year-old is also a promising playmaker, although he has room for improvement. He may not be a natural primary playmaker, and scouts seem concerned about his decision-making, both as a passer and a scorer, which can lead to turnovers.
Hifi can hit outside shots, especially off the dribble, but he isn’t quite a great 3-point shooter, at least not yet.
Defensively, he is adequate thanks to his quickness and motor, and he has the ability to get steals and deflections. But he seems to have some issues with some matchups, particularly very quick players and those who are bigger and stronger than him.
Hifi is generally expected to either get selected in the second round or become an undrafted free agent.
