5 wings the Lakers could target in the 2024 NBA Draft
Wings are worth their weight in gold and the Lakers will have the opportunity to add one to their roster in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 2024 NBA Draft is fast approaching and with the Lakers holding the No. 17 pick, they’ll have an opportunity to add an impact player to the roster.
There are a number of ways the Lakers could go with their draft, but one thing every team would like to do is add wing depth. If LA pursues that option, here are five potential players that the Lakers could acquire.
Ron Holland, G-League Ignite
Holland has been dropping in mock drafts for a year now. Once thought to be a potential No. 1 pick, his struggles in the 2023-24 G-League season have him potentiality falling out of the lottery.
The reason? He underperformed as the top player on the Ignite as they had a 2-32 season and will now shut down the team/program.
His defense was still explosive and he averaged 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Ron Holland sequence - box out, contested rebound + saves ball to start transition, shows off the motor sprinting to get back into the play as the trailer, hits Matas Buzelis for the cut dunk pic.twitter.com/CCYmzOIBz1
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) June 17, 2024
If he is available at No. 17, he could be one of the steals of the draft.
Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
If you want to score in bunches from your wing position, Walter is your guy.
He averaged 14.5 points as a freshman at Baylor and was named Big 12 Rookie of the Year. His shot selection is suspect, but he’s also a tough shot-maker, so some of his flaws even out with his athletic ability and willingness to aggressively attack the basket.
Ja'Kobe Walter was one of 12 players invited to the NBA draft green room yesterday, a good sign for his standing among teams. He has kept his pre-draft process quiet, but is working out for Detroit and Charlotte this week. Some pre-draft workout footage: pic.twitter.com/h7PtwoKA6J
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 12, 2024
One of his biggest flaws is his 3-point shooting. He shot 34.1% from beyond the arc, so he will be a work in progress in that department. But you can’t teach his size or speed, so he’d still be a solid pick for the Lakers in the first round.
Tristan da Silva, Colorado
Da Silva is projected as either a late first round pick or a second round selection. However, he’s been a popular pick for the Lakers in mock drafts throughout the predraft process, so it’s certainly worth considering him.
For Colorado, he shot 39.5% from deep and averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his senior season.
It's a weaker draft at the top, but if I could find an NBA ready level player like Podz and TJD like last year, that'd be awesome.
— Mike Garcia (@CanyonDriver) June 4, 2024
The three guys that still stuck out to me are Devin Carter, DaRon Holmes, and Tristan Da Silva.
The #55 pick is a lot trickier.
He is an older player and appears ready for the NBA now, similar to how Jaime Jaquez Jr. was for the Miami Heat this past season.
Johnny Furphy, Kansas
Furphy, the Kansas freshman, is a bit green, averaging just nine points per game in his 24.1 minutes of play. At 6’8 and with a nice-looking jumper, he may not be as polished as other players available on the draft board, but he has a potentially higher ceiling.
Johnny Furphy vs Cinci (23pts 11reb 2stl 7/8FG 3/4 3pt)
— Chip Williams (@chipwilliamsjr) June 5, 2024
good off-ball scorer, spot up shooter w/ quick release, good finisher at the rim (44/55 at the rim this season). constantly moving
off-ball/team D was impressive. tags cutters, good rotations, good activity, ok on ball too pic.twitter.com/xEW1VorgvZ
He’ll need to gain weight and become a better individual defender, but that’s true for many rookies entering the league.
Kyshawn George, Miami
The Lakers always need good 3-point shooters and one thing George can do is convert from deep. He shot 40.8% from downtown for the Hurricanes and is an electrifying player with a lot of raw ability. He averaged nearly one steal per game and in the open floor, he was fast and finished strong near the rim.
If the Lakers take a flyer on George, he would be the most exciting wing they’ve drafted this decade.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.