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NBA Draft 2018: 5 targets for the Los Angeles Lakers

By Phillip Barnett

COLUMBUS, OH - FEBRUARY 04: Ohio State Buckeyes forward Keita Bates-Diop (33) hangs on the rim after dunking the ball in a game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 04, 2018 at Value City Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - FEBRUARY 04: Ohio State Buckeyes forward Keita Bates-Diop (33) hangs on the rim after dunking the ball in a game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on February 04, 2018 at Value City Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 02: Keita Bates-Diop #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes handles the ball on offense against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 2, 2018 in New York City. The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 69-68. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

5. Keita Bates-Diop (OSU)

Keita Bates-Diop redshirt junior season came out of nowhere, with him becoming one of the most improved players in the nation. The 6-foot-7 forward out of Ohio State fits in perfectly with what the Lakers are trying to build.

Bates-Diop has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and can defend multiple positions. With the Lakers looking for guys who can come in and help improve on what Luke Walton was able to do on the defensive end, Bates-Diop has the length, athleticism and versatility to play alongside Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram on the perimeter.

On the offensive end, he got buckets all season long, averaging 19 points with a huge uptick in his 3-point shooting. He shoot 35.9 from beyond the arc last season, up from 32.4 in his last full season (missed all but nine games in the 2016-17 season) on two more attempts per game this past season which helped him win the Big 10 Player of the Year award.

He may not be able to come right in and create his own shots off the dribble, but he’s a fascinating option for the Lakers for a potential 3-and-D guy to play alongside their youth movement or, ahem, a big splash in free agency. This is the kind of talent who can go much higher than his projected draft status, but if he’s there at 25 for the Lakers, they absolutely have to nab him.

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