With the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers have the opportunity to add a young piece who could help the team for many years. And there are a number of directions the front office can choose to go with their selection be it a rim-running big man, a knockdown shooter, or a defensive-minded wing.
But regardless of what position the Lakers target with their pick, one characteristic the selection is likely to have is a high motor, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:
I’ll also use this question to talk a little bit about pick No. 25. In a general sense, teams shouldn’t be expecting to land starters when they pick this late in the first round. A successful pick would be a top-eight rotational player — something the Lakers really need out of a young player. Based on the way the draft boards have looked, it seems as if the Lakers will be looking at either bigs or larger wings here. If I had to bet on characteristic: high-motor.
As Woike noted, a big or wing would seem to be the likely selection as that is where the Lakers need to improve and the team has brought in or been linked to a handful of prospects, particularly the bigs. Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance and UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. have all been mentioned as real possibilities should they still be available when the Lakers are on the clock.
The Lakers potentially prioritizing a high motor with whomever they take is also interesting to note. Players like Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart consistently made huge impacts this past season with their motor and high energy and the Lakers are looking to bring more players in who can do the same. The Lakers are looking to surround Luka Doncic with the right kind of players and having a high motor is one of the traits that fits.
A center has been the most popular prediction for the Lakers leading into the draft, but whether it’s a big, wing or guard, he will need to consistently bring great energy whenever he’s on the court.
Latest prospects Lakers have worked out ahead of NBA Draft
The Lakers have brought in a number of prospects over the past couple weeks as the draft nears with projections ranging from first-round picks to undrafted players the team could look to add on two-way contracts. Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie is the highest rated, but other intriguing prospects include Purdue’s Oscar Cluff, Kansas State’s Nate Johnson and Georgia Tech’s Kowacie Reeves Jr.
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