NBA Draft 2017 Rumors: LA Lakers Want Another Pick at First Round
Rumors will not stop even when there are barely a couple of days left before the National Basketball Association Draft 2017 happens. This time, there are speculations that the Los Angeles Lakers are scrambling to get another first round pick.
ESPN has sources that claimed that the Lakers managed to get two teams to talk about a possible deal that could land them another slot at the first round draft this week. The main goal is to find promising, new athletes that can help rebuild the team and contribute on their outside shooting and perimeter defense.
Currently, the LA Lakers has the No. 2 draft in the first round and earlier reports have it that they are torn between Kansas Jayhawks' Josh Jackson, Lonzo Ball from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox. The Lakers also have the overall 28th pick this year.
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All three players performed well during their first year at the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball season 2016-17. Jackson put up an average of 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Ball racked up 14.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. Lastly, Fox's stats are at 16.7 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.
The Lakers have organized two pre-draft workout sessions each for Jackson and Ball. However, unlike the Kansas forward, Ball has not met with any other NBA teams apart from the Lakers. Jackson had been to Sacramento and is recently rumored to likely become this year's No. 1 pick if Boston Celtics seals the deal.
Meanwhile, the same ESPN report mentioned that Ball still considers meeting with other lottery teams before the 2017 NBA Draft if, in case, Lakers decides to go with Jackson. However, those meetings are yet to penned.
On Monday, the Lakers officially revealed the other players who were at their pre-draft workout sessions namely the 7-foot tall Zach Collins, San Francisco Dons guard Avry Holmes, Cole Huff from the University of Nevada, Reno, the British baller Luke Nelson, Columbia's Luke Petrasek, and Seab Webster of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
The NBA Draft 2017 happens on Thursday, June 22, at 7 p.m. EDT. Live telecast will be available via ESPN.
