The angst of whether the Lakers would keep this year’s draft pick has turned to joy. The Lakers will not only keep their top-3 protected selection, but they stood pat at #2 overall. While retaining the pick at all is a major boost, landing in the 2nd slot gives the Lakers a chance at one of the two players who is viewed, at least at this point the process, to be above the rest of the field.
Yes, the table is set for the Lakers to walk away with one of either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram. Both dynamic players in their own way, both tantalizing prospects who could be plugged into a roster and help immediately. The Lakers, then, can only smile at what is coming their way.
That said, the choice will not be theirs. The 76ers hold the #1 overall selection and, according the Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding, are already smitten with Simmons:
The Philadelphia 76ers are leaning heavily toward taking Simmons on June 23, according to league sources, with the No. 1 overall pick they landed in the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night…
…It’s not as if the 76ers need to get to know Simmons to decide if they want him. Simmons was born and raised in Australia, where 76ers director of performance research and development David T. Martin was an iconic sports-science leader until leaving the Australian Institute of Sport for Philadelphia in 2015.
Sixers head coach Brett Brown also coached Simmons’ father, Dave, with the Melbourne Tigers. All of that history with Simmons has allayed any concerns over his attitude and inconsistent motor during his one season at LSU.
Should things play out this way, the Lakers would end up with Ingram. But, per Ding, they would be more than happy with that:
That would set the Los Angeles Lakers up at No. 2 with Ingram, who already wowed them in his May 11 interview on opening day of the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Ingram’s drive to be great and dedication to winning, according to sources, resonated deeply with the Lakers’ front-office contingent…
…The sweet-shooting Ingram will be offered the chance to be so exceptional in a private workout that he shifts Philadelphia’s thinking, but as of now, it appears as though the Duke freshman will be available at No. 2. That would thrill the Lakers, who aren’t sure if Ingram isn’t better than Simmons.
It is very early in the process, of course. Remember, in the wake of last year’s draft lottery there were strong rumblings that the Minnesota Timberwolves preferred Jahlil Okafor over Karl Anthony-Towns.
When those reports started to shift and it became clear Towns would go #1, it was said the Lakers would were leaning heavily towards selecting Okafor. In other words, early reports can be wrong. Shoot, even late reports can be. There’s still a lot of time left for perceptions to shift.
As it stands, mock drafts are fairly split with who will go 1-2 in the draft. Right now, it’s good to just be thankful the Lakers are in a position to get either of these players.
Ernest Pagarigan says
Ingram does fit with the young core and we need a wing, and Ingram can shoot in the perimeter, create his own shots and defend
Bill Courter says
Just pray that the Lakers front office does not trade the pick. We do not need to be great next year. We need to develop a young core that will become great for many years. As a fan, I can be patient. Can they?
I CALLED GAME says
Russell
DeRozan
Ingram
Randle
Whiteside
The bench-
Clarkson
Williams
Jon Leuer
Nance Jr
Black
Thorn Maker
Jabari Brown
Anthony Brown
Nick Young
Marreese Speights
R says
I don’t usually do this but a starting five of: Whiteside, Randle, Ingram, DAR and Clarkson reads pretty nice, don’t it? How bout a bench of: Bass, Lou, and Nance plus … whoever (not Swaggy!!).
I CALLED GAME says
Yes i would trade Nick Young for a 24 pack of Gatorade
Steve V says
Ingram seems to be better than Simmons in many ways, but I can’t get out of my head that Simmons has future superstar written all over him. He seems to me to be the one that belongs on the Lakers despite all the shortcomings.
Ernest Pagarigan says
well Ingram makes more sense, but again we have to wait and see who will be keeping the pick or trading it
Ovid mercene says
This will be a choice between Lebron James and Kevin Durant
Da Chief says
Simmons is that rare athlete like LeBron and Durant who possess speed and athleticism far beyond their peers. PHI will take Simmons. LA will then have to decide and I do not think Ingram is ever going to be an all-star caliber player – maybe but I highly doubt it. He is “Tayshaun Prince 2.0” – a solid role player and starter but not a go-to guy.
I would much rather see LA take Kris Dunn and then look to trade for another young contributor. Dunn is a PG version of D-Wade. His defense is NBA ready and he can muscle up Curry like we are seeing Russell Westbrook do now.
(moderated for trade speculation)
I CALLED GAME says
If I was the Lakers I wouldn’t trade with anybody because when we had Kobe nobody wanted to trade with us… so the other teams can keep the middle of the rode players and team so we can crush then for many years
Dorian says
Yesterday was a very good day for the Lakers. I want Simmons but I’ll be very happy with Brandon Ingram. I say keep all the young players, sign a vet center and small forward/shooting guard and keep cap room available for next year in free agency when I think we will have a legit shot at a star!
A Horse With No Name says
One of the best things about the draft telecast was watching Mitch. True to form, he remained expressionless during the drawing of the envelopes until the moment the lakers’ pick was announced. He permitted himself a small smile, shook hands warmly with Brett Brown and Isiah Thomas, and as he started to step off the dais he gave a quick wink. Classic!
matt says
Ingram’s size has been a concern for me
6’9 195
Other notable thin nba players to compare with
Garnett
Drafted. 6’11. 215
Now 6’11 240
Durant
Drafted. 6’9. 225
Now 6’9. 240
Antetokounmpo, the greek freak
Drafted 6’10. 210
Now 6’11. 225
Maybe ingram gets up to 220
Even durant who’s size was a concern was 30 lbs. Heavier at draft
matt says
Also note other tall thin guys in this draft
Thon maker 7’1. 215
Cornelie. 6’11 210 ,france
Qi 7’2. 215, china
Bender 7’1 225
Porzingis is 7’2. 240
bluehill says
Look at wingspan too. According to DraftExpress, Ingram’s is 7′ 3″ The same as Maker’s and Durant’s. Antetokounmpo might be a the same or little long depending where you look.
Also Ingram will be one of the youngest players drafted so he may not be done growing. Definitely needs to put on some weight.
J C says
I’ve heard Simmons may try to dissuade Philadelphia from selecting him. If he spooks them sufficiently, isn’t it possible that Phila offers to swap picks w LA in exchange for a current Laker player or future pick?
Slappy convinced me in a previous thread of Simmons’ transcendence.
Steve says
There’s only been one team in the past 50 years of the NBA that has won a championship without at least one first ballot hall of famer. The lone exception is the Pistons in 2004, when they shocked the old and injured Lakers. Every other team has had at least one all time great player. Most had a couple HOF guys.
There are only 4 guys in the league that fit that description that are still in their prime: LeBron, Curry, Durant and maybe Westbrook. Boogie, Paul George, Wiggins, Davis aren’t there yet, if they ever will be. So it’s foolish to try and rush the rebuild and trade the pick.
We need to take time and develop some of these guys and see what we’ve got. There’s no point in trading for someone who is just an all-star. Especially with the rules that are in place now to insure parity. The Lakers don’t have the financial advantages they used to have, and the incentive to stay with the team you’re on are so great they’re hard to overcome. There aren’t the same shortcuts there used to be.
So we have to build up a core of players that will either be attractive to a free agent, or can be used as trade assets for a disgruntled star, or that can win on their own. I know we’d love a quick fix and hate to hear the word “patience”, but that’s what we must be. Enjoy the journey! It’ll make the championships that much sweeter.
-Steve
matt says
Horse, i noticed that too, poker face mitch
harold says
Wonder how our trajectory will compare to Minnesota since that’s the other team in the west that’s been rebuilding through young talent + will have a new head coach this year. If Ingram can be as great as KAT was this year…
Sly Bly says
I love Ingram. I watched most of his games with Duke last year and watched his game and confidence grow throughout the season. I don’t think they can go wrong with either, but my choice would be Ingram. My guess is that they would have Russell, Clarkson, Ingram and Randle. They would then go after Whiteside (or Ezeli) and Derozan this summer. Then next summer when the cap goes up again, they would go after Westbrook. If they only tie down those two long term contracts, they would still have about $15mil to use on one year deals and then have to money for Westbrook next year. They would also have the #32 pick here as well. So this year would be:
Russell
Derozan (Clarkson and Lou backing up both)
Ingram
Randle (Nance and Black)
Whiteside (or Ezeli)
With this they would still have $15 mil to spend. They could go after Alan Crabbe or another young 3 and D guy to back up Ingram and grow with the team or sign someone on a one year deal like Luol Deng. Then go after Westbrook next year. They could trade Lou Williams after next season to make more room as well. The cap is projected to go up another $15-$18 mil as well, although it is expected to go back down some in 2018. And it looks like based on 4 year deals, Derozan would come off the books at the same time that De’Angelo Russell would get his new contract, and Westbrook would come off the books at the same time Ingram got his new contract. A lot has to happen, but the Lakers could be major contenders in two years with a few good free agent signings. Derozan and Whiteside (or Ingram) are very realistic. And Westbrook (or another marquee free agent the year after will be likely as well.
rubenowski says
When I first saw whiteside live at a clippers game last year i thought he was a lot like Bynum. Now, after hearing about his immaturity and knee injury, I think he IS Bynum 2.0. Because of that, I’ll pass on him now (and i think so will mitch and jimbo). I say we offer Drummond the max. I know mitch and co dont like offering rfa’s contracts but i dont think we have much to lose this summer if we go that route.
matt says
If we draft ingram, most likely he’s gonna suck the first year, then people are gonna say stuff like, dude ingram was 9th in the roy voting, he’s a bust
david h says
darius: it’s fitting that the lakers got the number two pick because it takes the stinking out of the equation. either way, the default pick will be either simmons or ingram unless of course between now and draft day someone in the front office done lose their mind and find someone else??
hope not.
Go lakers
BigCitySid says
-Love our Lakers current position. Just hoping the front office won’t be pressured by ownership to make a “rush” move for a big name to appease their high price ticket holders and TV executives.
Anonymous says
The FO should not trade the pick. Any pressure to accelerate this rebuild is not coming from the fan base. We know there is no way to make up for lost time. Let’s go slow and do it right. GS, OKC and the Spurs aren’t going anywhere. No need to rush.
I know next year we will try to win as many games as possible — we couldn’t honestly say that about the last three years. That’s enough for me.
I’d pursue:
1) SG: Evan Fournier. Better shooter, younger and cheaper than DeRozan
2) Center: a) Noah b) Leonard c) Biyombo, although he can’t shoot
3) SF: a) Barnes — Walton would know best if we should pursue b) Crabbe
Dom says
Ingram is 14 months younger than Simmons, has 5 inch reach advantage, and in a make or miss league he puts the ball in the hole. Watch this kids videos, he puts the ball on the floor, going left and right, he has NBA range and a Duke pedigree, which means he was taught the right way to play on both ends. He will be fundamentally sounder. My expectations for the Lakers will be that they finish last again in the west next year. Unlike a lot of people here i have tempered my expectations. We have the coach and some young talent. I hope next year is a time of installing the system and culture. Get the top 3 protected pick again next year, then begin the hunt for superstar free agents. The jury is still out on DAR. Clarkson is a smallish 2 guard, Randle is a short armed 6’8 maybe power forward with no outside game at all. Ingram here, and a top 3 pick next year give the Lakers the necessary young assets to facilitate a trade and another year to see what the young guns are going to be long term. Players thrive in systems, we need to give the FO time to get players to fit the system as well as see how effect the current roster fits with Luke’s vision. The 2017 FA’s include Westbrook, The Greek Freak, Rudy Gobert,Nicola Mirotic, Gordon Hayward and others. We are not getting Durant, Westbrook may be an option in 2017, but i think The freak, Hayward, and Mitotic have the kind of youth athleticism and high IQ to make the GS style work here. Im just not a fan of Derozan or Whiteside. Also looking down the road you have to think of salary cap as the currrent youth mature and come up for extension.
J C says
Agree w anonymous re Noah.
I also think Pau Gasol may also be a good pickup if he’d consider a return here, as one of the veteran presences you know we’ll want. Luke knows him, and Pau is a great passer. Still has lots of game and tons of class. I like J Noah too.
Lots of great posts.
Everybody’s happy today!
TempleOfJamesWorthy says
I read somewhere (ESPN?) that several GMs congratulated Kupchack on getting the “ideal” draft slot. As I noted in prior comments, the Lakers get a fine prospect either way, and if whomever they get doesn’t pan out, they don’t have the stigma of an Anthony Bennett/Kwame Brown #1 pick bust.
While I like the thought of having both Simmons and DAR on the same team providing elite-level passing, I think Ingram is probably the better fit and his shooting is very valuable in the modern NBA.
A Horse With No Name says
Anon @ 3:51: Great post! Evan Fournier is a guy worth over paying for (RFA). We go from a slightly undersized for the 2 in Clarkson, to having a 2 with size and range. Clarkson becomes the third guard/back-up point/ sixth man scorer. Fournier is a far better fit for space and pace than DeRozan. I like Noah as a potential signing, dependent on his health; pass on Leonard for the reasons Darius outlined in a prior thread, pass on Biyombo who has shot blocking but very limited offensive skills. As JC notes above, Gasol would be a great signing: give him a front loaded two year deal. Pass on Barnes (covered ad naseum). Crabbe is nice, but if we get Ingram I’d look for a low rent vet like Maurice Harkless who has size and physicality.
rubenowski: Yes, there are certainly red flags with Whiteside, and the parallels with Bynum are there. From Mitch’s most recent comments, I think the organization is leaning away from making a big commitment to a traditional center.
Fern says
Ingram is the perfect fit for the team. But if somehow we get Simmons that would be great too but i think Ingram is the best player overall. People talk about how thin he is. Well the kid is 18!!!! I wouldn’t be surprised if he grow an inch or two more. He is going to fill up like everyone does as we mature. And he said that he is going in a 5000 cal a day diet to gain weight so he is more than aware of what he needs to do. He is a Coach K guy that’s a pretty big plus in my opinion. And let’s be real he put good numbers in a better team against better opposition. Im absolutely against trading the pick under any circumstances unless we get Lebron James and Curry for the pick, Nick Young and Robert Sacre lol.In my opinion it would make sense if the Lakers didn’t have cap space like the recent past but with 60 million to spend? Im sorry that would be ridiculous, we have the unique oportunity to improve the team dramatically thru both the Draft and free agency. I hope the FO don’t blow this oportunity in some desperate attempt to try to built a championship team overnight.This is my main worry. We need to hoard all the talent we can get.
Clay Bertrand says
Miami is going to be able to almost pick their Center this summer if they are willing to spend. The problem is that its TIME TO PAY THE FIDDLER with Wade and Whiteside will draw Max offers elsewhere. So they will have quite a task to be able to sign all these guys Pat claims they will try to sign LEGALLY. According to Riley today, he is going to sign Wade, Whiteside (w NO Bird rights), do all he can to retain Deng AND go “looking for whales” to sign in Free Agency. If even HALF of this plan happens, something again STINKS in SouthBeach. (Miami is dirty I tell ya!!!!!!!!!!!!)
The rumblings have been growing that former U of Florida Gator products Horford, AND Noah both would consider Miami atop their list of prospective teams to sign with. Better Domincan food in Miami than Georgia one would imagine and Noah seems a typical Riley signing and a guy who would love to get back to the sunshine. Hopefully, Miami plays by the rules and is therefore hamstrung by their current Cap situation.
I think Noah would be a great platoon 5 for the Lakers and I would lean toward signing multiple lower tier guys versus maxing out Oddball Whiteside or Oldman Horford. I would not be upset if we got Whiteside because he is still young, but I think we could do better with more flexibility if we signed Biyombo and Noah for example.
Both guys are D first and don’t have the offensive games to even desire a lot of touches on Offense. Biyombo has no injury history (unlike Ezeli) and he seems to move better than any other available 5 when it comes to coming out and defending the PnR. Plus, even with his emergence this year and his playoff presence, he is still potentially relatively “affordable” such that we could also look to sign the veteran Noah. Noah is a good TEAM guy and has always been seen as a strong team first locker room presence. He plays with passion and DEMANDS the same of his teammates on D. I would sign him with Biyombo with the understanding that he has injury history and would platoon at the 5 with Biyombo and a resigned Tarik Black.
I have no interest in Nene and I honestly cannot see a scenario where Pau decides to come to LA for a paycheck to finish his career. Pau’s chasing rings now. I could even see him going to Golden State or Cleveland on an exception or a bargain deal. The Spurs don’t have enough AARP coverage for him to join them!!!! Pau also plays a lot less D these days and he wants and deserves touches on O. Great guy and great Laker but I think that ship has sailed for Pau and the Lakers.
Sly Bly says
It is funny how people are saying Pau, or Noah but not Whiteside. Whiteside has been a machine for Miami. Yes he comes with possible injury issues, but so does Noah. And Noah is old and a shell of himself. Whiteside is young and will grow with the team. Pau wouldn’t come back to LA even if they paid him the max. I like Ezeli too. We ABSOLUTELY need a strong defensive pick and roll center. That is our biggest offseason need. I like Fournier, but we need a number one go to scorer. Derozan will give us that. He can improve his shooting as he already has. We need defense too. Not more offense.
Anonymous says
Phil hired Hornacheck. Good hire? Asking because I don’t know.
Clay Bertrand says
Sly Bly, I’m in agreement on the 5 spot. My earlier comment is in Mod…….I think Noah would be ok under the right circumstances……
Mid-Wilshire says
If the Lakers select Ingram (which would please me greatly), it would not be absolutely certain that he would start immediately. As a result, the Lakers might bring in another SF to fill that gap. However, they might not bring in someone who would expect to be a starter for the next 4-5 years (such as Nic Batum) because that might stifle Ingram’s growth.
For these reasons, I see the Lakers possibly considering 2nd tier FAs at the SF position. Here’s a selective list of several SFs who might be content to start for, say, the first 20 or 30 games until Ingram (or Simmons) are truly prepared to take over:
Luol Deng — 2015/16 salary: $10,151,612
Evan Turner — $3,425,510
Maurice Harkless (RFA) — $2,894,059
Solomon Hill — $1,358,880
For those who are wondering, Harrison Barnes is a RFA who makes $3,873,398 per year at present. I, personally, do not expect him to leave GS. Furthermore, if the Lakers were to select Brandon Ingram, Barnes might very well say, “Why would they want me?” which would be a very good question.
Gary says
Barnes is not leaving GS unless KD leaves OKC to go to the Warriors. I don’t think KD is leaving the Thunder.
Gunslinger says
Love Solomon Hill. Good, young, cheap, and made some clutch 3’s in the playoffs this year
A Horse with no name says
Mid-W: I made the same point about signing a second tier wing if we draft Ingram in a post above. I like Harkless because he likely could be signed away from Portland on a reasonable deal, has excellent size and strength and isn’t really starter material. Crabbe is much better and Portland will pay to keep Crabbe rather than Harkless. Similar to Crabbe, Fournier has recognized value and a team will have to over pay to pry him away from the Magic. The Magic might choose not to match because they have Hezonia to play the 2/3. Another plus with Fournier, is that he could play the 3 while Ingram develops and then slide to the two, which is his best position.
Nice list! Isn’t Matt Barnes a FA? Just say’in…
Mid-Wilshire says
Horse,
Correct. Matt Barnes is a UFA. I did not include him because of his age (36). Other UFAs are Jeff Green (29) and Dorrell Wright (30).
I’m with gunslinger, BTW. I think Solomon Hill is an undervalued contributor. He’s only 25. He’s decent from 3-pt. range, and is an excellent defender. He’s cheap, too. The Lakers might consider him.
matt says
While all of us argue about which free agent we should sign for our next center, let us not forget who we had last year, hibbert, black, bass, and sacre
Here’s a list of free agents at center, every one of them is an upgrade
Whiteside, p.gasol, howard, horford, Jefferson, sullinger, noah, marjanovic, ezeli, pachulia, nene, jordan hill, stoudamire, mahinmi, mosgov, miles plumlee, O’quin, biyombo, hickson, and forwards d.west, d.powell, d.lee,
Clay Bertrand says
Mid-Wilshire, I agree with you that we should practice prudent spending for more experience on the wing. We need wing players anyway and drafting a nice young forward in Ingram means as you outlined, that we don’t need to go sign a top tier 3. Solomon Hill’s is literally the Biyombo of small forwards. Like many, he is in for a sizable raise and has many suitors after his play in Indiana this season punctuated by his playoff performance. So I wouldn’t say Sol will necessarily be “cheap” but certainly he should be relatively affordable.
I like the idea of picking up Harkless as another option if that was doable (though I’d prefer Hill). Portland is in a pretty good position to retain almost everyone and make a splash themselves with FAs. Olshey is a good GM too. As a RFA, Harkless is a tougher get than Hill.
Its time to really piece together and BUILD A TEAM. Not simply make clumsy, hamfisted grabs at FA’s whose career arcs are not aligned with our embryotic talent base.
Altemawa says
I think we should go after a very good young center, even RFA (Drummond). Bring in Gasol back so we have a very good mentor to our young guys.
At the SG, I also like Fournier, but JC gametime/growth could be affected by this position.
If we can, go after Jeff Green, he’s a solid contributor too.
LordMo says
Just don’t trade the pick. We need YOUNG talent period!
BOTH guys can play are you kidding me… and both are probably better than anyone we have now save Clarkson. So, whats the debate?
Keep the pick get the pick again in 2017 and roll into the future the powerhouse for the 2020 decade.
Again there is no player other than LEBRON that could take this team anywhere. So trading this pick is insane unless your trading for more picks in next years draft which would be brilliant Mitch!
Adding free agents or trading for role players does nothing but make you a borderline playoff team hampered by veteran level salaries. So, despite all the rumors I suspect the Lakers will select the best player available @ #2 and be dam happy that they got something out of the Steve Nash fiasco.
But hey maybe some of you guys prefer to see Melo in Forum Blue jacking up 30 shots a game?
Let’s give Luke time to build his team and implement his system with some young studs. I think given some time and patience we are going to be back to where we are supposed to be.
P.S. Dam Danny Ainge I cannot stand your a@# but dam good moves in the front office son…dam good!
A Horse With No Name says
“Its time to really piece together and BUILD A TEAM. Not simply make clumsy, hamfisted grabs at FA’s whose career arcs are not aligned with our embryotic talent base.
Dang, that’s some nice write’n! You had me at “clumsy, hamfisted grabs” but you took it over the top with “embryotic.”
Guest says
Is Bass even going to be back?
Josh Hardin says
Let’s hope not. Bass is a decent role player but he’s a guy we don’t really need. We don’t need another undersized PF when we should give those minutes to Randle and Nance.