5 players Los Angeles Lakers need to target

March 24, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Brandon Ingram (14) reacts during the 82-68 loss against Oregon Ducks during the second half of the semifinal game in the West regional of the NCAA Tournament at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

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March 24, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Brandon Ingram (14) reacts against Oregon Ducks during the first half of the semifinal game in the West regional of the NCAA Tournament at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke

The most likely scenario that will occur during the 2016 NBA Draft for the Lakers is that they will be able to rush to the podium to draft Duke small forward Brandon Ingram.

The Lakers hold the No. 2 pick in the draft and it is almost a guarantee that the Philadelphia 76ers will be taking Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick.

By drafting Ingram, the Lakers will suddenly have a core of players on their roster that they can build around for years in Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. Long gone are the days of the Lakers just acquiring the best talent from around the league.

They can do that and draft the best talent available, which means that they could be on the cusp of something special soon.

It’s not often with the draft lottery that a team is able to luck into good enough picks to build a franchise around, but through the Lakers’ recent struggles, they were one of those teams that was able to find themselves in the right position.

If Ingram is the pick like many expect him to be, there’s going to be a lot of excitement around the team going forward.

Next: 2. Ben Simmons

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