The Los Angeles Lakers' front office deserves credit for moving from the 55th pick all the way up to No. 36 in this year's NBA Draft. They did it quietly and weren't required to part with anything other than money to make the leap. They even managed to make a quality pick in the form of Arkansas forward Adou Thiero.
Thiero should be able to help the Lakers in time with his energy and rebounding skills from the power forward position. It's hard to see him making an immediate impact as a rookie at the four because of LeBron James' need to occupy that position. Free agent signing Jake LaRavia will also start the year well ahead of Thiero on the depth chart.
The logjam at the power forward position should have encouraged the Lakers' front office to look for a different sort of rookie with the 36th pick. The following three players will cause GM Rob Pelinka and his staff to feel regret before the 2025-26 season is through.
Lakers draft miss No. 1: Chaz Lanier
The Lakers might have been hesitant to draft another shooter from Tennessee after the failure of the Dalton Knecht selection. Chaz Lanier's game should translate better to the NBA than Knecht's has to date. He could have provided Los Angeles valuable shooting from the perimeter.
At the very least, Lanier could have provided the Lakers a backup capable of reducing Austin Reaves' regular season workload. They need their veteran guard to be 100% when the playoffs roll around. The acquisition of Marcus Smart might help save some tread on Reaves' tires but his lack of shooting might also bog down the second unit.
Lanier shot 39.5% from behind the arc last season for the Volunteers on 311 attempts in 38 games. His versatility as a shooter will allow him to keep up that sort of volume and efficiency as a pro. He went off the board one pick after the Lakers selected Thiero and that might sting if he plays well for the Pistons.
Lakers draft miss No. 2: Maxime Raynaud
Maxime Raynaud might have been a top-10 pick if he would have been born about 20 years earlier. He's a bit of a throwback big man with an array of post moves who can flummox opposing defenders. The former Stanford star slipped to Round 2 because of questions about his athleticism and defensive chops at the NBA level.
DeAndre Ayton is going to be the starting center for the Lakers this season but the options behind him are imperfect, at best. Jaxson Hayes has a lot of athleticism but his offensive game has never blossomed as some scouts hoped. Maxi Kleber could give the team quality minutes but his game is clearly on the decline.
That's why adding a scorer like Reynaud to the bench could have done a lot to raise the team's regular season floor. He has enough offensive talent to command double teams on the block. That would be a major benefit for a Lakers' bench that needs to soak up more productive minutes this year to keep their stars fresh.
Thiero may have more upside to become a rotation player on a playoff team, but Raynaud could have given the Lakers more this season. He'll have some big scoring nights for the Kings this year that will frustrate fans in Los Angeles.
Lakers draft miss No. 3: Tyrese Proctor
Former Duke standout Tyrese Proctor didn't hear his name called until the Cavaliers selected him with the No. 49 overall pick. It's easy to see how the Lakers might have called his name much earlier in Round 2.
Proctor didn't explode on the scene immediately for the Blue Devils. His development was more of a slow burn in Durham. By the time his college career was finished he'd firmly established himself as a quality three-point shooter who can guard multiple backcourt positions.
Interestingly, the best case scenario for him as a pro might be becoming the next Austin Reaves. He's got decent size and defensive instincts that should stop him from being hunted in the NBA. If he can continue to improve his ball handling there's a chance he can become a quality backup at both the 1 and the 2 for a team with title aspirations.
Proctor's lack of elite athleticism might stop him from ever becoming a star, but his high floor would have been great value for Los Angeles at No. 36. He has a strong chance of become a high-quality backup for a long time.