2019 NBA Mock Draft: The dust clears from the NBA trade deadline

Simply put, Alexander-Walker has developed into one of the absolute best shooters in all of college basketball. He is taking nearly six 3s per 40 minutes for the Hokies, who put together the eighth best offense in the country this year, and nailing them at a 41.3 percent clip. Considering the level of difficulty Alexander-Walker’s shots have taken this year with the ball is in hands more often, it’s safe to put him in that elite company across the nation.

When you factor in his size and length, the intrigue of Alexander-Walker as a prospect comes into full view. The native Torontoan is a picture-perfect modern NBA guard much like his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has already shown as rookie the value his size and skill have on defense. But it all comes back to shooting. Alexander-Walker has made 48.4 percent of his 3s from NBA distance this year per The Stepien’s shot charts and Synergy has him contributing 1.16 points per possession on all jump shots, an elite mark.

In addition to the growth in the versatility and efficiency of his jump shot, Alexander-Walker has developed as a playmaker this year. Sharing the court with a solid point guard in Justin Robinson surely helps the sophomore, but Alexander-Walker himself has nearly doubled his assists per 40 minutes without much of a leap in his turnovers. All this responsibility has cumulated in a 26.7 percent usage rate for Alexander-Walker to go with a 62.4 true shooting percentage, making him one of the most efficient combo guards in the nation.

You’d be correct to think how perfectly a player like Alexander-Walker might fit with LeBron James — someone who can attack closeouts, nail open shots and create transition opportunities. Even if the Lakers trade all their picks going forward they might as well use them on guys who fit with James while they’re in Los Angeles.