There may have been questions and rumors at different points about the Lakers doing a number of other things with the second overall pick, but in the end, they simply made the obvious and expected choice.
Duke’s Brandon Ingram has long been the assumed selection for the Lakers with the number two pick, and they finally made it official.
Broken first by Mike Bresnahan of L.A. Times, the Lakers made Ingram the second overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft:
It's official. Lakers take Duke small forward Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) June 23, 2016
At the end of the day, Ingram’s potential and fit on the Lakers simply was too much to pass up. Ingram will slide right into the small forward spot and will fit right in next to Clarkson, Randle, and Russell thanks to his outstanding shooting and scoring ability.
There had been some rumors that the Lakers were looking at other players. They were reportedly interested in Providence point guard Kris Dunn and had worked out Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield twice in the lead-up to the draft. None of them were able to pass the long, lanky Duke forward, however.
Ingram had an excellent lone season for the Blue Devils, averaging 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting over 44 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. He also averaged more than one steal and one block on his way to being named ACC Rookie of the Year and an Honorable Mention AP All-American.
There are concerns about Ingram’s body as he needs to add strength, but that will come in time. For now, the Lakers have added another outstanding talent to their already promising young core. With Ingram and Russell leading it, the Lakers’ Summer League team will definitely be worth checking out.