Mock draft roundup: Lakers targeting instant contributors
With the draft order now set, the Lakers have a little more clarity in who they could target should they keep their pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 2024 NBA Draft lottery was held on Sunday and while it didn’t include the Lakers, it did include a big surprise. The Atlanta Hawks jumped to the No. 1 pick, shaking up the lottery order in a big way.
Officially, the Lakers do not yet know if they will have their first round pick, which would come in at No. 17, as the Pelicans have until June 1 to decide whether to keep either the 2024 or 2025 pick of LA’s. However, reports are that they’re leaning toward letting the Lakers keep the 2024 pick.
So, there is some reason to pay attention to mock drafts over the next month. Because the decision has not been officially made, not every mock draft has the Lakers keeping their pick. The ones that do, though, have a common throughline of the purple and gold selecting someone who can contribute right away.
Let’s take a look at mock drafts that do have the Lakers and who they project them to select.
The Athletic - Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke
A pair of Duke players are featured in this roundup, starting with big man Kyle Filipowski in Sam Vecenie’s mock draft for The Athletic.
Here’s a bit of his insight on the selection:
If the Lakers get the pick, Filipowski makes a ton of sense as a big man who can shoot and either pair well with Anthony Davis or serve as a third big. Filipowski averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting about 50 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3 this season. He carried Duke through long stretches of games with his ability to catch the ball on the block and score, but pro scouts find his well-rounded perimeter game more appealing. Filipowski can shoot from the perimeter, attack heavy closeouts and bring the ball up the court in grab-and-go situations. His passing took a nice leap this past season, and he was more comfortable reading the court.
By season’s end, the Lakers lacked big man depth, so that alone makes this pick appealing.
DraftExpress - Jordan McCain, G, Duke
The Lakers lacked consistent bench scoring for much of the season, particularly after they moved Rui Hachimura to the starting lineup. Jeremy Woo of DraftExpress projected the team to take someone who could help that issue in McCain.
McCain’s shooting ability, feel for his role and capacity to play both guard positions could fast-track him into minutes somewhere next season after a solid freshman year at Duke, presuming he can hold up defensively early on.
CBS Sports - Devin Carter, G, Providence
Similar to the previous pick, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports has the Lakers selecting a guard who can provide a scoring punch as well as defensively.
Carter, the son of a former NBA player, is the reigning Big East Player of the Year after averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals in his second season at Providence. He’s a terrific competitor, elite defender and improved shooter who could theoretically fill a rotation spot for a playoff team as a rookie.
With Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince set for free agency and D’Angelo Russell holding a player option, there could be an opening in the backcourt.
Sporting News - Tristan da Silva, F, Colorado
Lastly, you can never have too many 3-and-D wings and the Lakers could add another one in Tristan da Silva, as Kyle Irving of SportingNews projects.
da Silva is a fluid 6-9 wing who handles the ball well for his size, can defend multiple positions and shot 39.5 percent from 3 on nearly 300 attempts over his past two seasons. His ability to fill a variety of roles makes him a fit for almost any NBA team.
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