Lakers likely to select a big man or wing in first round of NBA draft - BERITAJA

The Lakers will activity to usage their 25th prime successful Tuesday’s first information of the NBA draught connected a subordinate who fills a request connected a roster that could person up to 9 free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers besides are alert that picking that precocious successful the information could time off them selecting the champion subordinate available.

They about apt will beryllium successful hunt of a halfway who could beryllium a lob threat aliases an diversion helping who could play defense and sound down three-pointers, 2 positions the Lakers crave arsenic they effort to build a squad about prima Luka Doncic that fits champion pinch his style of play.

Names that NBA executives and mock drafts attached to the Lakers are Kentucky halfway Jayden Quaintance, Texas guardant Dailyn Swain and Duke helping Isaiah Evans.

The Lakers spent clip successful Spain looking astatine 20-year-old defender Sergio de Larrea, but galore NBA scouts spot him going later successful the first information aliases moreover successful the second. According to group not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers were impressed by their workout pinch Purdue constituent defender Braden Smith. But he’s connected the smaller broadside (6 feet) and played 4 years successful college, starring scouts to judge his upside is not that precocious and that he’ll beryllium drafted successful the 2nd round.

The Lakers don’t person a prime successful Wednesday’s 2nd round.

After the Lakers were swept by a heavy and diversion Oklahoma City squad successful the 2nd information of the playoffs, president of hoops operations Rob Pelinka outlined what it takes erstwhile trying to compete successful the uber-tough Western Conference against the likes of the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who became the second-youngest squad to scope the NBA Finals.

Pelinka looked astatine really Thunder defender Ajay Mitchell was drafted successful the 2nd information and really he flourished successful conscionable his 2nd season, particularly successful the playoffs, successful which he averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists successful 11 games.

“Depth is really important, athleticism and youth. We person a batch of components of that connected our roster, but we request to adhd to it,” Pelinka said past period during his exit question and reply pinch the media. “I deliberation those are immoderate of the cardinal North Stars that we request to look at.

“One of the players that they had who played really well, Ajay Mitchell, they sewage successful the 2nd round. So there’s ways to adhd to your roster if you perpetrate to doing the difficult activity and perpetrate to the process of adding the correct pieces. … We’ll beryllium doing that done the draught and free agency and done trades. We’ve gotta find a measurement to person a roster that will compete pinch immoderate squad successful the NBA. That’s what we do here.”

The Lakers do person 3 tradable first-round picks — 2026, 2031 and 2033 — but the second 2 can’t beryllium moved until aft the draft.

Lakers prima LeBron James is an unrestricted free supplier and is looking for a woody from the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is expected to opt retired of his $14.8-million woody truthful he could motion a statement pinch them for up to 5 years and about $241 million.

Still, the Lakers person to proceed pinch the draught to find a player.

Texas guardant Dailyn Swain, left, vies for a loose shot against Purdue defender Braden Smith during an NCAA tourney crippled successful March.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

Swain (6-7) and Evans (6-6) are the benignant of diversion wings the Lakers could use, but some mightiness beryllium chosen earlier the Lakers make their pick.

The 6-9 Quaintance could descent to the Lakers because of wellness concerns. He played successful only 4 games past play astatine Kentucky because the squad was being cautious pursuing knee room aft he tore an anterior cruciate ligament erstwhile he played astatine Arizona State.

Scouts still position him arsenic mobile, diversion and young capable — he turns 19 adjacent period — to develop. But, Quaintance will request to rehab his knee and about apt won’t beryllium fresh for the upcoming season. When healthy, scouts said, he could beryllium the lob threat and defender that Doncic yearns to have.