The Los Angeles Lakers made a deal during the NBA Draft in order to acquire the 39th overall pick, which was used to select German forward Isaac Bonga. Due to NBA rules, that deal wasn’t able to be made official until the moratorium was lifted and the Lakers officially announced the deal on Friday.
When the pick was originally announced, many assumed Bonga would be stashed away overseas. He was one of the youngest prospects in the entire draft and though he has some very promising skills, seems far away from being a contributor in the NBA. The Lakers had different plans however, as they announced that they had signed Bonga to a contract.
While it might seem odd, it does make sense for the Lakers to keep Bonga with them. By leaving him overseas, they have no control over how he is used and what he is working on. By keeping with the team they can have him work on exactly what they want, practice regularly with the regular roster, and spend time with the South Bay Lakers of the G-League getting regular minutes as well.
Some more good news for fans is that they won’t have to wait long to get a look at Bonga as the Lakers Twitter announced that Bonga would be available to play at the Las Vegas Summer League which kicks off Saturday:
Isaac is Vegas-bound and will be available to play in tomorrow's #LakersSummer matchup with the Sixers. https://t.co/vdwEPixuvc
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 6, 2018
Bonga is a very intriguing prospect who fits right in with what the Lakers are looking for. He measured at 6’9 with a 7’0 wingspan and is a great ball-handler who is used to creating for others and operating out of the pick-and-roll while showing great potential as a defender.
He is still very thin and needs to add strength and there are also questions about his jumper. Needless to say there is plenty of room for growth, but a lot to be excited about as fans will soon get their first look at the Lakers’ rookie.
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