Fresh Lakers Rumors on 10+ Prospects LA Scouted Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft

The Los Angeles Lakers have not limited their options with individual visits ahead of the 2026 NBA draft.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin listed off 11 prospects who have worked out for Los Angeles in some form:

Not included in that group is Purdue guard Braden Smith, who "impressed" Lakers officials, per the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner. They also had a contingent travel to Spain to get some face time with Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea.

What's interesting about the list presented by McMenamin is that a lot of the players are projected to be second-rounders at best, and Los Angeles doesn't have a second-round pick this year.

Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie is 10th overall on the big board from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. is next and he's pegged at No. 32. Georgia Tech forward Kowacie Reeves sits at No. 41. Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (No. 58) narrowly made the top 60.

Opinions always vary when it comes to a given draft class. A player who's generally considered a second-round talent might be receiving a first-round grade within the Lakers' front office.

However, it looks as though L.A. is preparing to either trade back into the second round or pounce quickly on undrafted free agents when the event concludes.

Developing home-grown talent was a challenge for the Lakers from the moment LeBron James signed in 2018. A team chasing a championship every year doesn't have a lot of time for a young player to learn on the fly, and a coach tends to lean more on experience once the postseason arrives.

Now, general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick don't have many other alternatives.

Assuming Los Angeles runs it back with James and Austin Reaves alongside Luka Dončić, there won't be a lot of money left to spend on outside reinforcements. Taking a flier on a second-rounder or augmenting the roster with two-way players is a necessary step toward getting the depth that's required for 2026-27.