As the NBA Draft nears, the questions about who the Lakers will take with the second overall selection continue to ramp up. Prohibitive favorite Lonzo Ball recently worked out for the Lakers, but recent reports insist that De’Aaron Fox and Josh Jackson are legitimate options.
For the time being, Ball remains the favorite to join the Lakers, but that could still change. ESPN’s Chad Ford recently noted that Ball was a favorite of the previous regime, but Fox and Jackson are both liked as well:
“Ball was a clear favorite of the prior administration run by Mitch Kupchak and still has his fans within the organization. But the Lakers also took note on how Fox outplayed Ball in their head-to-head matchup in March. And Jackson has always been another favorite in the organization.”
Ford would go even further on Jackson, noting that he has some strong supporters within the Lakers organization:
“While the feeling is that Ball is a good fit with the Lakers offensively, Fox and Jackson are gritty defenders and vocal leaders on the court, something the Lakers feel the team is lacking. Jackson in particular seems to have some strong supporters in the organization who think defense should be the priority.”
It isn’t hard to see what the Lakers would like about Jackson. He is the best two-way player in the draft and an excellent defender which the Lakers are sorely lacking. He is also a great ball-handler who can create for others, but there are major concerns about his lack of shooting.
We won’t find out who the Lakers ultimately select until the draft finally takes place on June 22, but whether it is Ball, Jackson, or Fox, the Lakers will be sure to do all of their homework to make sure they get the player who is best suited to improve the franchise.