With the 2017 NBA Draft under one week away, Los Angeles Lakers fans have begun forming their opinions on which prospect they want the Lakers to take with the No. 2 pick.
While there are plenty of players worthy of being the second pick, it seems as if the Lakers brass has narrowed it down to four: point guards Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and De’Aaron Fox and forward Josh Jackson.
It seems as if Fultz is most likely going to be selected first overall by the Boston Celtics, so it could come down to the other three for the Lakers.
The most popular selection among Lakers fans is Ball, the hometown product who became a breakout star this past season at UCLA.
Among the Laker fans who want Ball to wear the purple and gold is rapper and actor Ice Cube, who believes that Ball would add the excitement that the Lakers have been lacking in recent years, via Shahan Ahmed of NBC Los Angeles:
“I think he adds some excitement to the Lakers,” Ice Cube says about Ball. “We need a name. I believe he has the game, but you’ll never know until you see him against pro competition. Nobody else I’m checking for really out there because Lavar Ball has made his son into a household name, so he’s the one I got my eyes on, so that’s the one I want.”
Ice Cube also mentions Ball’s father, LaVar, who has been in the news a lot in recent months for being outspoken about his expectations for his son.
LaVar and Lonzo have both expressed their desire for Lonzo to play for the Lakers so he can stay close to home. LaVar has also said that he believes Lonzo can bring a championship atmosphere back to the Lakers organization. While those seem like big promises, the Lakers may be willing to take that risk to bring L.A.’s next big star to the organization.