3 Top Prospects the Lakers Need to Target in the NBA Draft
By Nick Porr
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a stellar season in 2020, currently sitting first in the Western Conference at 49-14. That's the second-best record in the NBA, currently only behind the 53-12 Milwaukee Bucks, meaning the Lakers would have the No. 29 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
With no second-round pick, the Lakers will only have one shot at drafting a sterling piece of young talent to join their veteran team this offseason. These three prospects would be perfect fits alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
3. Devon Dotson
Who handles the ball when LeBron is on the bench? Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, and Alex Caruso have given L.A. solid minutes at the one, but each is imperfect. Devon Dotson has the possibility to become a bench scoring dynamo. In his sophomore season at Kansas, Dotson lead the team in scoring with a 18.1 points per game on 46.8% shooting. He has all the speed, ball handling, and defensive awareness of a great NBA guard.
2. Jalen Smith
Maryland product Jalen Smith is the perfect fit to play minutes next to either Anthony Davis or JaVale McGee. He's a PF/C with defensive tenacity and a hunger for rebounding. His offensive game and playmaking skills are limited, but he has a good enough jumper to create space for the Lakers' other bigs inside, and enough athleticism to finish around the rim. Regardless of whether unrestricted free-agent center Dwight Howard leaves in the offseason, the Lakers should be eyeing Smith.
1. Tre Jones
Tre Jones is one of the biggest names in college sports after an impressive two seasons at Duke. This season, Jones took home the ACC Player of the Year award after averaging 16.2 points and 6.4 assists per game his sophomore year. Jones should still be on the board when the Lakers pick, giving them the rare opportunity to draft a verified talent late in the first round. Jones offers the lockdown defense, playmaking, and I.Q. that make him a perfect fit for L.A.