Lakers Rumors: Top Buzz Surrounding Brandon Ingram, Kris Dunn and More
The Los Angeles Lakers should be very excited for the NBA draft on June 23. After a franchise-worst 17 wins during the 2015-16 season, the squad will be able to add to its young core with two selections, including the No. 2 overall pick.
Los Angeles also figures to be a major player for most of the top free agents, like usual, but its first priority is making the right decisions on draft night.
Let’s break down some recent rumors regarding the Lakers’ plans for the draft and a bit of news on one free agent they plan to pursue.
Brandon Ingram No. 1 on Lakers' Draft Board?
While there still may be a little bit of drama surrounding whom the Philadelphia 76ers will take with their No. 1 pick June 23, it's looking more and more like it will be Ben Simmons. Per ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the team had a face-to-face meeting with Simmons on Thursday, and it came away impressed by the reported 20 pounds of muscle he's gained since the end of his season freshman season at LSU. Philadelphia saw the meeting as a way to start "building a relationship" with the standout forward.
Naturally, that means the Lakers will likely be "stuck" with the other elite prospect at the No. 2 slot, Brandon Ingram. But if recent reports are true, Los Angeles will be just fine with that.
The Vertical’s Jonathan Givony reported in his mock draft Friday that the Lakers would’ve targeted Ingram even if they had the No. 1 pick. Presumably, the team likes the way the Duke freshman fits with its current roster better than Simmons does.
Having Ingram No. 1 on its draft board is the smart move from the Lakers front office. Los Angeles ranked last in the NBA in three-point percentage last season, and Ingram’s sweet stroke can immediately help the team improve there. He’s also more comfortable playing off the ball than Simmons is, and the Lakers don’t need another ball-dominant player with D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle already in the starting lineup.
The last thing the Lakers need is a repeat of last year’s struggle to find enough possessions for everyone. Ingram is the best fit for Los Angeles—assuming it keeps the second pick.
Lakers Intrigued by Kris Dunn?
ESPN.com’s Chad Ford reported Monday that Los Angeles is also interested in Providence point guard Kris Dunn. This seems like an unlikely match, and we’ll know that things went topsy-turvy on draft night if Dunn is in Tinseltown by the end of the evening.
First, the 6’4” floor general is projected to get selected somewhere between No. 3 and No. 8 on June 23. Los Angeles would definitely trade down from the No. 2 slot to draft him, and it would probably only consider doing that if Ingram were off the board.
But his fit on the Lakers roster would also only work if the team traded one of either Russell or Clarkson, probably Russell. This isn’t out of the realm of possibility, especially considering Russell’s incident with teammate Nick Young in March, but it doesn’t seem probable.
On the other hand, Dunn’s stifling perimeter defense would be a welcome sight for a Lakers squad that ranked last in defensive efficiency during the 2015-16 season, per ESPN.com. His arrival also means Los Angeles probably received some additional reinforcements for trading down and cutting ties with one of its young guards.
Harrison Barnes a Free-Agent Target for Los Angeles?
Even though the Lakers’ main two draft options are both small forwards, the team is interested in signing Golden State Warriors free-agent small forward Harrison Barnes this summer, per Sporting News’ Sean Deveney.
Going after Barnes could be a big mistake, especially if Los Angeles ends up with Simmons or Ingram. The Warriors swingman will receive a max contract (or close to it) this summer because of his perceived potential, but he isn’t worth near that much to the Lakers. Los Angeles will likely have Russell, Clarkson, Ingram and Randle as its core players next week at this time, and Barnes doesn’t fit well positionally or financially.
Why would a team give a massive contract to a player who plays the same position as the guy it just drafted at No. 2 overall? It just doesn’t make sense.
If the Lakers trade down to draft another position, the addition of Barnes is a bit more defensible. He’s a streaky but solid shooter who can defend a variety of sizes and skill sets, but his own limited skill set and marginal improvement during his first four seasons in the NBA make it difficult to justify giving him more than $20 million annually.
The Lakers front office would be wise to not get involved in the Barnes sweepstakes.
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