As we near this year’s NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers were lucky enough to retain the No. 2 overall pick. With the Lakers in a position to land a surefire talent, the front office can now focus on who they might take with the 32nd overall in the draft.
Although they don’t present as much intrigue as the lottery picks, second-rounders have recently provided great value for their perspective teams. One of them is the Lakers’ own Jordan Clarkson, who they took with the 46th overall pick after making a trade with the Washington Wizards on draft night. Clarkson recently gave some advice to possible up-and-coming mid-to-late rounders in an interview with Drew Ruiz of SLAM
SLAM: Speaking of giving advice, what message do you have for guys that will get drafted NO. 46 and higher?
JC: “Its not about where you get picked- its the fit. You’re going to go through a whole bunch of bumps and bruises, you’re not going to be playing much, but at the end of the day, you just got to keep pushing because you don’t know when your opportunity is going to be called. And that stuff happens, you gotta be ready.”
The Lakers certainly struck gold with Clarkson after earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, followed by another solid season where he saw steady improvement in nearly every category. However, with Clarkson due to test free agency now that the season is over, the Lakers are not the only ones who see his potential.
Luckily for Lakers fans, him leaving certainly seems like a long-shot as he’s repeatedly expressed his desire to remain with the purple and gold.