4. Los Angeles Lakers
Only time will tell if Lonzo Ball pans out as the star point guard the Los Angeles Lakers envision him to be, but their trading away of D’Angelo Russell earlier in the week gives Ball the chance to log ample minutes from the very start. The move was also a shrewd financial maneuver, given the shedding of Timofey Mozgov’s miserable contract and Brook Lopez’s expiring deal. Whether one believes the Lakers gave up on Russell too early, as I do, the trade undoubtedly provides the team with much needed financial flexibility in the near future. Soon, we’ll all be able to see what the polarizing Ball can do and the areas in which he falls short. Ball projects to be an elite passer at the next level and a skilled scorer from distance.
Rounding out their first-round picks, the Lakers added two other skilled players at other positions, power forward and shooting guard. Kyle Kuzma showed much growth over his three years with the Utah Utes and he’s still developing his shot, but the Lakers like him as an effective stretch four in the not too distant future. Josh Hart, the team’s No. 30 selection, is particularly intriguing. Despite being undersized, he’s a superb shooter and scorer and has proven himself to be an effective ball handler in the pick-and-roll. Like Kuzma, he’s on the older side after spending four seasons at Villanova, and that makes perfect sense given the youth coming in with Ball and the young makeup of the rest of the squad.