LOS ANGELES — When the NBA holds its annual draft on Thursday, the Lakers will perhaps take a peek into what the future has in store for them.
They hold the 17th pick in the draft, a selection they can use to add more young talent or as a trade chip to bring in a quality veteran to assist LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the win-now path this team is on. The Lakers also have a second-round pick at No. 47.
Teams like the Lakers that are drafting in the mid-teens seem to be looking for some version of the same player, according to NBA scouts not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
“I can see the Lakers and teams in the same spot as them looking for the best available player and for players with shooting range,” a Western Conference scout said. “You’re looking for length. You are looking for 3-and-D. That’s the going rate for everybody now, looking for somebody that can guard and somebody that can shoot.”
The only sure things in this draft, scouts said, are the top three picks.
San Antonio has the first pick and is expected to draft 7-4 wunderkind Victor Wembanyama from France. Charlotte is second and is expected to draft either forward Brandon Miller from Alabama or point guard Scoot Henderson from G League Ignite. Portland is third and is expected to take whoever doesn’t go second.
At No. 17, the Lakers will have to wait to see who is left on the draft board that they still like.
“When there is a consensus top three, like there is this year, then anything can happen afterwards,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “The three guys at the top, none of those guys are going to fall out of the top three. And then afterwards, it’s kind of a matter who teams like.
“I do think the Lakers will get somebody good at 17. I think it’s a good draft. I think they will get somebody good.”
The players who have been attached to the Lakers in mock drafts or by NBA scouts are talented players that might still be available when they select, that might slip to them or could be gone by 17.
Here are some players to keep an eye on for the Lakers:
Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin, Connecticut guard Jordan Hawkins, Baylor guard Keyonte George, Duke center Dereck Lively II, Kentucky point guard Cason Wallace, Michigan guard Jett Howard, Santa Clara guard Brandin Podziemski, Arkansas guard Nick Smith Jr., Alabama power forward Noah Clowney; and Indiana point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
“The draft is about talent, right? You can fill a team with need in free agency,” a Western Conference scout said. “I think you draft for talent and for the Lakers, this pick is one of the few first-round picks they have left, right? So, you got to make this one really count. …
“I don’t think you can draft just on need, especially when with the veterans they have. Last year they went for talent and got Max Christie. I think the Lakers are going to go young and they are going to swing for talent and not for need. That’s what they normally do. That’s their track record. They normally go for talent over need.”
Lively, a 7-1 center, has seen his stock rise and fall, going from as high as No. 11 in mock drafts to as late as 17th. He’s viewed as a player with similar skills to Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela, having the ability to protect the rim and roll to the basket for lob passes.
“He can step out and shoot a little bit, but you’re not going to ask him to go stand on the perimeter and shoot it,” the Western Conference scout said. “He’s big, he’s athletic, he can protect the rim. He can fit with LeBron. He can fit with AD. He has athleticism and size.”
The 6-4 Bufkin averaged 14.0 points per game as a sophomore and shot 35.5% from three-point range. He played in the rugged Big Ten Conference for Michigan coach Juwan Howard, who played in the NBA.
“Kobe is long, rangy and proven to be tougher playing for Juwan,” the Western Conference scout said. “He’s a decent shooter and he guards, which is his claim to fame. At Michigan, they put him on some of the tough assignments and he could guard them. As a kid, he’s one of the best. He’s a great kid. He’s gonna work his ass off because he’s got something to prove. The Lakers at 17 is about his range. He could be there.”
Howard’s 6-8 son Jett, who also played at Michigan for his dad, displayed some scoring ability.
Clowney, a 6-10 big man, improved his stock in the pre-draft process. Hood-Schifino, a 6-4 guard, is NBA-ready and a hard worker. Smith, a 6-5 guard, has been slipping some in the draft.
“You look for the best player, the best available,” the East scout said. “The Michigan kids could be there or they could be gone. They could be in that range. It all depends. But to be honest, the Lakers do a heck of a job drafting. You have to give them credit.”
