As the 2016 NBA Draft nears closer, the Los Angeles Lakers have a major decision coming their way as they hold the second overall pick. With the Philadelphia 76ers seemingly locked in on Ben Simmons, the Lakers taking Brandon Ingram seemed like a foregone conclusion. The report that the Lakers would have targeted Ingram had they won the draft lottery just locked in that thought process.
The Lakers have been bringing in a number of other potential lottery picks for workouts, however, and there is even a rumor that the Lakers would consider trading D’Angelo Russell for a second top-5 draft pick.
With all that being said, the Lakers worked out Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield on Saturday, and he apparently believes that the Lakers will take him with the second overall pick according to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News:
Buddy Hield expressed confidence that Lakers will select him at No. 2
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 18, 2016
According to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, this was Hield’s second workout with the Lakers, and the only individual workout Hield has taken in this pre-draft process:
This was Buddy Hield's second workout with the Lakers and says its also the only individual workout he's had. It's also his last.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) June 18, 2016
Hield has been working out with recently retired Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in the lead-up to the draft and even mentioned that the Lakers could use a scorer like him now that Kobe is gone. Whether or not the Lakers feel the same way remains to be seen.
Even if Hield isn’t the choice at number two, he could be a possibility if the Lakers choose to move back in the lottery. He is arguably the best shooter in this entire draft class and the Lakers ranked dead last in three-point percentage last season.
With only a few days left before the draft takes place, there are a ton of questions surrounding what the Lakers will ultimately do with their draft pick.
