Lakers Rumors: Emmanuel Mudiay Is Perfect Draft Choice to Jump-Start Rebuild

The sales pitch to encourage the Los Angeles Lakers to tank is pretty straightforward. 

Emmanuel Mudiay awaits.

This isn't the offseason, but it is some bizzaro world in which the Lakers figure to have a high first-round pick for the second time in a row. These things happen when the globe prepares for the All-Star Game while the Lakers tout just 13 victories.

The draft is in focus considering general manager Mitch Kupchak and Co. have no true assets to offer via trade at the deadline. Jordan Hill is hurt and Jeremy Lin's contract is a no-go, especially since teams know he will hit free agency this offseason anyway.

All of the above understood, it makes sense that rumblings about the Lakers' draft board are going public. ESPN Insider's Chad Ford provides the first look, which states that Jahlil Okafor out of Duke and Mudiay are the top two names:

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If they finish with the worst record in the league, Okafor is a slam dunk for them. Their best and only big man is Jordan Hill, and he's a far cry from Okafor. For a team that has a long legacy of elite big men -- from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O'Neal to Andrew Bynum (OK, not so much Bynum) -- the Lakers would love to have a young front line of Okafor and Julius Randle. Okafor's closest competition I'm told is Mudiay, but it's not that close right now.

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To everyone's credit, especially the smart Lakers' fanbase that is enduring a new kind of rebuild, most seem to understand that Okafor is a pipe dream.

As great as an Okafor-Julius Randle tandem would be for years and years, the Blue Devils' star is undoubtedly the top overall pick in the upcoming draft, which at this pace will not belong to the Lakers.

Which is fine, really—the top two names on the board indicate that the front office clearly wants a complement to Randle and a point to dish the rock. They will obtain one through the draft and the other through free agency.

With Okafor out of the picture, it is no wonder that the Mudiay-to-Lakers narrative continues to pick up steam. Even The Game, a rapper and known Lakers supporter, wants to see the pairing come to fruition:

So what's the hype with Mudiay?

The Chinese Basketball Association star and former McDonald's All-American injured his ankle last season and did not play for most of the campaign. Still, at 19 years old, his combination of size, speed and power makes him an ideal fit for any NBA team on or off the ball.

ESPN lists Mudiay at 6'5" and 196 pounds with a 6'9" wingspan. His jumper could use some work, but Mudiay's ability to slash and kick, and play relentless defense makes him an ideal fit with the Lakers, where Kobe Bryant and others will be the focal point of the offense anyway.

Sam Forencich/Getty Images

It's not as if the Lakers can do much else with the position as things stand now. Linsanity fell flat on its face and won't return. The team cannot deal his cap hit worth $8.4 million, per Spotrac, and the latest rumors provided by Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck suggest that the Houston Rockets will be all over him when he hits free agency, anyway.

Sure, the Lakers could gamble and throw cash at someone such as Goran Dragic. But the ship to acquire a veteran point guard who can take the team to the next level right away sailed when Rajon Rondo packed his bags and moved west.

Better now to throw cash at someone such as Marc Gasol to bring along Randle and develop Mudiay as he goes. Jordan Clarkson might be able to help form a platoon, too, if his averages of 13.4 points and 3.8 assists on 39 percent shooting in 11 games as a starter are any indication.

The bottom line is, it's a point guard league and the Lakers should think defense beneath the rim through free agency. Mudiay's instant contributions give the team a fighting chance right out of the gates. One season in when the biggest fish of all hit free agency, the young core will be in place and can merge with a superstar to bring the Lakers back to relevancy.

It's very early and things change, sure. As things stand right now, though, Mudiay needs to be priority No. 1 in Los Angeles.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.