Getty Texas Tech guard Jarrett Culver
Shortly after the Los Angeles Lakers were awarded the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, speculation began about a number of prospects, one of which is Jarrett Culver. The former Texas Tech guard had an impressive final collegiate season and an even better 2019 NCAA Tournament. He’s expected to be among the second wave of players off the board after the likes of Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett.
Naturally, with the Lakers sitting just outside of that group, it could set up the potential for them to land Culver, but there are a number of prospects worth considering in that spot. It’s unknown exactly what the Lakers will choose to do, but they appear to at least have some legitimate interest in the Texas Tech star.
As Ralph Mason revealed on Twitter, the Lakers sent Assistant General Manager/Director of Scouting Jesse Buss and Director of Player Personnel Ryan West to Culver’s pro day.
It was also pointed out that another Lakers scout and Antawn Jamison are both in this photo and taking in Culver’s on-court work prior to the draft as well.
Lakers’ Options With No. 4 Pick in NBA Draft
While Culver is certainly an appealing option for the Lakers at No. 4 overall, a number of players could be in consideration. Even beyond that, another option is to trade the pick in a possible deal for a current NBA star such as Anthony Davis or Bradley Beal. It’s likely that every potential outcome is on the table for the team’s front office, and there’s a big decision to be made in the near future.
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If the Lakers opt to hold the pick, a few names worth monitoring beyond Culver include Duke’s Cam Reddish and Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland. Both names have come up often in the pre-draft chatter, but it’s tough to peg who would be the better fit, especially without knowing how the offseason will shape up for Los Angeles.
Assuming the Lakers do choose to use the pick, Culver, Reddish or Garland would make sense as the choice. Each player has the potential to make an impact very early in their NBA career and they all have an impressive amount of upside as well.
Lakers’ Free Agency Chatter: Kyrie Irving Impact
While it’s anyone’s guess what direction the Lakers will attempt to go during NBA free agency, Kyrie Irving appears to be a name to watch. Whether or not it’s realistic to believe that he could team back up with LeBron James is a big question, but if he were to sign with Los Angeles, it would impact quite a few things.
Specifically, Irving starting at point guard would leave Lonzo Ball’s future with the team up in the air. It’s likely the Lakers could attempt to trade him at that point, but there’s been no specific talk about that to this point. Along with the situation involving Ball, it could potentially lead to a lesser chance that the Lakers select Garland at No. 4.
The upcoming offseason could be a wild ride for the Lakers, and it should start in less than a month when the NBA draft gets underway.
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