NBA Draft: 5 destinations for Brandon Ingram

As long as the ping-pong balls cooperate and the Los Angeles Lakers get either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick (they deserve?), the Lakers are going to have the perfect piece for their team going forward either in Simmons or Ingram.

Los Angeles needs to upgrade the three and that is the position that both Ingram and Simmons project to play in the NBA. What the Lakers need to decide is what type of three do they want: a Rudy Gay type is Simmons or an Antetokounmpo type in Ingram? Either way, there’s not a wrong answer for the Lakers, as both Ingram and Simmons will help their young corps play even better in 2016-17.

Ingram would help the Lakers space the floor at the three and potentially help anchor a strong defensive team. His personality seems like it would gel well with players like point guard D’Angelo Russell, shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, power forward Julius Randle, and center Larry Nance, Jr. Simmons may give off a Kobe type of vibe from day one and that hasn’t been spectacular for the young corps’ development.

Either way, as long as Los Angeles doesn’t fall out of the top three in the 2016 NBA Draft and have to give their first round pick to the Suns, there is a 66.7% chance that the Lakers will have either Ingram or Simmons on their team in 2016-17.

While both will definitely help the Lakers claw their way back to relevancy in the daunting Western Conference, from a chemistry standpoint, Ingram’s mental makeup may be the perfect catalyst for the Lakers to right their ship in 2016-17.

For one of the NBA’s most decorated franchises, the pressure isn’t on the Lakers entering the NBA Draft. They’ll make the right decision with their high-end lottery pick. With Ingram and that young corps, there’s no reason to believe that the Lakers won’t turn this around in a matter of years.

For more posts on the 2016 NBA Draft, please check out our NBA Draft hub page.