The Los Angeles Lakers received an upgrade at the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery, keeping their top-three protected pick and actually moving up to the No. 2 spot. With the Phoenix Suns dropping to No. 4, the Lakers now have a chance to select the likes of Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, or De’Aaron Fox.
Markelle Fultz is viewed as the current consensus No. 1, barring anything unexpected from the Boston Celtics. With that being said, the Lakers view both Ball and Fox as potential targets, both capable of being the point guard of the future in Los Angeles. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka now must organize their prospective workouts, in order to get a personal look at these budding NBA stars.
With LaVar Ball stating that his son Lonzo will only workout for the Lakers, it seems as though the Ball family has their eyes set on staying near Los Angeles. The Lakers are also taking a hard look at Fox, with the Ball father not shy in backing down from a potential one-on-one workout, as he told Colin Cowherd on The Herd:
“Go ahead. He ain’t scared of nobody. You want to work them out one-on-one, then you’re going to see what really goes on. I hope the reporters and all the news is in there. De’Aaron Fox had one game for 39 points. Who else did he do that? You’re going to justify his whole career on one game against Lonzo?”
As the months pass on, LaVar remains the public figure, while Lonzo wants his game to do the talking. If the Lakers were to host a competitive workout between the two, it would give them a concise answer on how they view each option. One performance does not define a player, but the Lakers understand their specific needs and how each player can conform to their system.
Many point to Fox’s 39-point performance against UCLA in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, but LaVar views it as just one good performance. When taking a look at the current Lakers roster, Lonzo seems like the more immediate fit, as an athletic playmaker that can immediately improve the performance of his teammates.
The 2017 NBA Draft is set for June 22, providing the front office of the Lakers a month to evaluate all their prospects. With the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Lakers will certainly examine every angle and a one-on-one workout with the two would certainly help their decision.