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The Los Angeles Lakers received a nice bump in the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery and now hold the No. 4 overall pick in the first round. While there are a number of ways the Lakers could opt to go with this selection, including potentially trading it, a top prospect will be available if they hold it.
Beyond the opening round, the Lakers are currently without another selection, but in the latest mock draft, I’m going to strike a deal to move back into the second round for one specific target. Let’s kick the mock off with the No. 4 pick, though, which is where the debate between Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver and Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland ramps up for many.
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Lakers First-Round Mock Draft Pick: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
If the Lakers opt against trading this selection, I think Culver winds up being the direction they go. The former Red Raiders star averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals during the 2018-19 season. While his surface numbers as a shooter from beyond the arc didn’t amaze last year (30.4 percent), he proved more than capable of hitting shots the previous season, making 38 percent.
Culver will provide the ability to do a bit of everything, including offering the Lakers another scoring punch alongside LeBron James and company while also stepping in as a strong defender. I love the Texas Tech guard’s upside and potential which is among the best in this draft, behind only Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett.
Lakers Trade Into 2nd Round & Select Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s)
To be clear, the Lakers don’t have a simple path to acquire a second-round pick, but I opted to make this move based on the team’s likely push to trade for Anthony Davis. If Los Angeles does manage to land the New Orleans Pelicans star, it’s going to cost a lot, and could require bringing in a third team.
Should that be the case, both Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball will likely be on the way out, and the Lakers will be thin at point guard. Adding a playmaker like Shamorie Ponds in the second round would be an intriguing move. The big issue? Both the Lakers’ 2019 and 2021 second-round picks are already heading to Atlanta and Detroit.
Currently, Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo has Ponds coming off the board at No. 51 overall to the Boston Celtics. If he winds up as one of the final 10 selections in the draft, the Lakers wouldn’t have to break the bank to acquire his draft rights, and it’d be a wise decision.
Over three years at St. John’s, Ponds averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals. Arguably the most impressive thing about the 6-foot-1 guard was his ability to improve his shooting marks and assist numbers during the 2018-19 season. He averaged career-highs in assists (5.1), field goal percentage (45.3) and steals per game (2.6) last season.
I’m not entirely sure what it would cost for the Lakers to swing a deal for Ponds, but it’s unlikely to be anything they’d refuse to move.
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