Los Angeles owns the seventh overall selection in a class with good depth. The franchise should be able to grab a very solid prospect, but there's a lack of certainty at the top. That's made it tough to forecast exactly which coveted players will still be on the board when the Lakers are on the clock.
But it also adds to the drama heading into draft night. With that in mind, let's check out some of the latest talk concerning the Lakers' potential draft options and examine how they could help the team right now and in the future.
Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
Embiid was a virtual lock to get drafted inside the top three before his agent, Arn Tellem, confirmed he needed surgery to repair a foot injury, per Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Now his stock is very much up in the air as teams will surely have questions about his ability to stay healthy moving forward.
It brings the Lakers into play to grab the prospect with the highest upside in the class at No. 7. Bill Simmons of Grantland reports the Kansas product's agent will work to make him land in a big market like L.A. should he not be the first pick:
Obviously the Lakers and other teams will want a medical update first. Yet, it's hard to see landing Embiid as anything other than a major coup for Los Angeles. Assuming he's able to make a full recovery, he would be a great short-term teammate for Bryant and an ideal long-term building block.
Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State
The one thing that's always allowed Bryant to stand out is his very high level of competitiveness on the court. Smart is t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
