Lakers' Updated 2021 NBA Draft Targets After Lottery Drawing
The Los Angeles Lakers need to upgrade their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason.
The challenge is they don't have many assets to do so. This roster is already pricey, and there aren't many trade chips to shop around.
The Lakers do have their first-round pick (No. 22), though they can't trade it until after the selection is made due to outstanding trade debts. Given their lack of youth, though, they might want to keep it around anyway. If they spend it on the right player, they'll add someone who can contribute to their championship chase now and possibly become something even greater in their next chapter.
With L.A.'s attention firmly on the offseason, the front office should already be studying the following three prospects.
Chris Duarte, SG, Oregon
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Chris Duarte looks like he belongs in an NBA rotation , especially one that has stars he can support.
If the Oregon alumnus isn't the best three-and-D prospect in this draft, he's at least in the discussion. He has the energy and ability to guard multiple positions, plus the instincts to make things happen off the ball.
On offense, his smooth, repeatable shooting stroke just yielded a 42.4 percent connection rate from three. He has enough off-the-dribble wiggle to skirt around overzealous closeouts, too.
Future-focused shoppers won't give him much thought, since he's already 24 years old and not an elite athlete.
But the Lakers are looking to maximize what's left of LeBron's prime. They need day-one contributors, and Duarte's combination of experience, skill and willingness to play his role give him a great chance to serve as one.
Ayo Dosunmu, PG/SG, Illinois
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Ayo Dosunmu doesn't lack for confidence. After testing the NBA draft waters last year, returning to school and demonstrating across-the-board growth while leading Illinois to a No. 1 seed, he shouldn't.
"Using feedback I received from teams, I improved my game in every category, and finished the regular season with stats unlike any player in college basketball in the last 11 years," Dosunmu said on ESPN's The Jump. "... They learned that I'm both a playmaker and a defensive threat—making me the most complete player in college basketball."
The 21-year-old might be more 'tweener than combo guard, as he may not have the quickness for the 1 or the shooting touch for the 2. But he'll benefit from having a smaller, more defined role in the NBA, and he has more than enough two-way skills to find his niche alongside James and Davis.
Dosunmu holds his own defensively, creates offense out of pick-and-rolls and is a wrecking ball in transition. If his shooting improvement sustains (career-high 39.0 percent from three this season), he could be a valuable role player.
Cameron Thomas, SG, LSU
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The Lakers nearly squeezed 50 points per contest out of James and Davis, and each All-Star hovered around 50 percent shooting from the field. Despite their contributions, though, this offense ranked just 24th in efficiency—the worst mark among all playoff participants.
Once L.A. moved past its starters, there weren't enough scorers and shot-creators on the offense. That's where Cameron Thomas can fit. While no means a perfect prospect—basically, every area outside of volume scoring is a question mark—he packs a big enough scoring punch to help scratch one of L.A.'s primary itches.
"Thomas is one of the more consistent, accomplished scorers in the draft," Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated wrote. "The questions here primarily surround the translatability of his playing style, and his general disinterest in defense and sharing the ball. But for a team that solely needs bench scoring, it should be easier to overlook Thomas's shortcomings and focus on his strengths."
An instant-offense role with a short leash could be best for the 19-year-old, as he needs to rein in his decision-making and shot selection. In other words, L.A. might be as good for him as he is for the team.
