6 2015 NBA Draft Prospects the Los Angeles Lakers Should Be Watching

The Los Angeles Lakers’ regular season is less than a month old, but the 2015 NBA draft is already front and center.

The reason is a losing record that keeps getting worse. L.A. selected Julius Randle as its No. 7 pick last June—a return appointment with the bouncing lottery balls is starting to look likely.

As Ben Rosales of Silver Screen and Roll tweeted recently, “Lakers now third in the tank rankings behind Philly and OKC. Needless to say, the latter won't be in such a hole forever.”

With the distinct possibility of finishing toward the bottom of the standings, the Lakers could keep the top-five protected pick they were supposed to send to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Steve Nash acquisition in 2012.

Additionally, L.A. is in line for a first- and a second-round pick from the Houston Rockets as part of this summer’s Jeremy Lin trade.

In other words, there could be a bumper crop ahead.

Jahlil Okafor, Duke, 6’11, C, Freshman

With his freshman season at Duke still in its infancy, Jahlil Okafor is already the preemptive favorite for the 2015 No. 1 overall pick.

ESPN’s Chad Ford and Draft Express currently have Okafor as their top choice, as does Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman.

Okafor is a 6’11”, 272-pound center who’s got the kind of strength, footwork and classic back-to-the-basket moves that can anchor a team’s title dreams.

So far in Duke’s young season, its star big man is averaging 15.8 points, eight boards, 1.8 assists and 1.6 blocks.

Los Angeles can exercise its option to bring back Jordan Hill next season for $9 million. And perhaps it will—Hill is leading the league in offensive boards and developing an outside shooting touch nobody really expected.

But Okafor is a monster. These kind of players are rare opportunities, and if the Lakers find themselves in a position to snatch him, they certainly have to do that.

Emmanuel Mudiay, China, 6’5”, PG 1996

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Choosing to play professionally overseas instead of college is always a risky business for an NBA hopeful. It’s even more curious when the prospect is lottery-bound.

Such is the case with Emmanuel Mudiay—a Congolese-American who passed on an opportunity to attend SMU, and instead signed a $1.2 million deal last summer to play the point for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association.

It was a highly lucrative deal for an 18-year-old who escaped the war-torn Congo as a young child with his mother and siblings.

As reported by Andrew Sharp for Grantland, Mudiay explained his reasoning in pragmatic terms: “I was tired of seeing my mom struggle. After sitting down with Coach Brown and my family, we decided that the best way for me to provide for my mom was to forgo college and pursue professional basketball opportunities.”

Mudiay’s progress won’t be observed by college scouts in the typical way but it may not really matter—international basketball gets plenty of exposure, and the 6’5” point guard has been tearing it up in China while playing against seasoned pros.

The point guard is averaging 17.7 points, six rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game through 10 games played. 

The Lakers could sorely use an elite and explosive floor general. Mudiay has speed, size and can break ankles off the dribble drive. 

Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky, 7’0”, C/PF, Freshman

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Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky is a little taller and slimmer than Okafor at 7’0” and 248 pounds.

Towns also has more of a modern NBA game—he can run the floor, attack the basket, facilitate for others and drift outside with a decent shooting stroke.

With a 7’3” wingspan and excellent shot-blocking instincts, Towns can play both the center and power forward positions. Imagine this year’s freshman Wildcat paired with Randle in the Lakers’ frontcourt.

That could be the foundation for a Kentucky dynasty—Hollywood style.

Towns is averaging 6.4 points, seven rebounds and an astounding 3.6 blocks in just 18.6 minutes in John Calipari’s 10-man rotation.

The McDonald's All-American may have the most complete skill set of any big on the boards for next year’s draft. He’s definitely one of the prospects the Lakers will be focused on.

Stanley Johnson, Arizona, 6’8”, SF, Freshman

The Lakers need help at all positions, but depth at the small forward positions is especially lacking.

Enter Stanley Johnson, a freshman from Arizona. He has great size at 6’8” and 243 pounds and isn’t afraid to mix it up—this is the kind of physical wing defender the Lakers haven’t had in far too long.

The Arizona Wildcat is averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 boards, 1.5 assists and a steal per game through five games played.

Plus, he’s an above-the-rim jam monster!

A homegrown prospect from Fullerton, Calif., Johnson won four state titles with Mater Dei High and was MVP at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 tourney.

Imagine if you combined Nick Young’s scoring swag, Metta World Peace’s toughness and Wesley Johnson’s athleticism. You would get Stanley Johnson.

This is a prospect the Lakers need to be watching.

Justise Winslow, Duke, 6’7”, SF, Freshman

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Another of powerhouse Duke’s amazing freshmen, Justise Winslow is creating a presence as potent as his better-known teammate, Okafor.

CBSSports.com’s Matt Norlander recently wrote about a two-way wing who keeps on improving:

"

How won't he go pro after just one year? I mean, have you seen him? Intimidating style of play, undeniably skilled, a mismatch every second he's on the floor and as valuable as any player Mike Krzyzewski has had in a few years. Yeah, Justise Winslow is sick-nasty.

"

At 6’7” and 229 pounds, Winslow is an aggressive defender, a willing passer and like Johnson from Arizona, a legitimate high-fly act.

A natural lefty, Winslow has developed ambidextrous ball-handling skills and can romp coast-to-coast, shifting through traffic and finishing at the rim, He’s averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game through five games so far this season.

This is a lottery prospect with a ton of upside.

Olivier Hanlan, Boston College, 6’4”, PG, Junior

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Second round

Despite the temptation to focus solely on lottery picks, the Lakers will also have a second-round pick next June.

Olivier Hanlon is a 6’4” combo guard for Boston College with solid ball-handling skills and shifty, deceptive speed. While he’s been known as one of the nation’s leading collegiate scorers—often from the 2-slot—his size will likely position him as a point guard in the NBA.

Hanlan’s one-on-one strength and ability to facilitate on offense are indicators that he could make the transition. His propensity to score in bunches could allow him to find a niche as an offensive boost off the bench.

The guard is collecting 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, three assists and 2.4 steals per game this season.

Like other bubble prospects, however, Hanlon lacks in some areas—his outside shot is streaky and he’s also not known as an elite defender.

He’s also the oldest candidate in this bunch—Hanlon will be 22 by the time the draft rolls around.

The Lakers will have plenty of choices in the second round, but this is at least a guy worth watching closely.