NBA Draft 2014: Smart, Payton, Stauskas Expected For Friday Workout

Corey Hansford
3 Min Read


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UPDATE (12:00 PM): Along with Marcus Smart, Nik Stauskas and Elfrid Payton, the Lakers will be bringing in Aaron Gordon and P.J. Hairston, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report:


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The Lakers are doing their due diligence ahead of next week’s NBA Draft. The team had a huge group workout two weeks ago, and worked out Julius Randle today. Now, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, they are scheduling a second group workout for Friday:

This is a good sign for both Smart and Payton to be invited back. Smart has been linked with the Lakers for quite some time, and apparently impressed in the group workout.

Payton has been one of the biggest risers in the draft. Originally expected to be a late-first round selection, Payton has played his way into a possible lottery selection due to his great passing and defensive skills at the point guard position.

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Both guards have questions regarding their shooting ability, something that Stauskas doesn’t have to worry about. Some believe he is the best shooter in the draft, and he has the ability to play both guard positions. He was expected to take place in the Lakers earlier group workout, but cancelled unexpectedly.

Friday’s workout is expected to be another large group workout, much like the one they held before, and the Lakers are still working to schedule more prospects for that day.

Workouts like these allow the Lakers to see how the top prospects match up against each other, and also gives them a chance to gauge the competitiveness of the players.
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VIDEO: The Lakers Last Set Of Pre-Draft Workouts


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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.