Getty Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka looks on before the team's preseason game against the Sacramento Kings.
A relatively unknown prospect, the Los Angeles Lakers have their eye on France’s Darel Poirier, who came over stateside last season and spent a year playing for the Washington Wizards G-League affiliate. An extremely athletic 6’11 center who has flashed the ability to consistently knock down shots from behind the three-point line, Poirier is extremely raw but fits the mold of the modern NBA big man perfectly.
While the athleticism is definitely there, Poirier has a fairly unrefined game on both sides of the ball, leading him to fall well into the second round (or undrafted) in most NBA mock drafts. With the Laker’s cap situation looking tight should they want to go after a max-contract star, they need to explore some creative ways in order to assure they have the necessary money allocated.
As a result, Sportando’s Nicola Lupa reports that the Lakers plan to bring in the French big man for a workout on Friday despite not owning a second round pick.
Lakers Plan to Workout French Prospect Darel Poirier Ahead of NBA Draft
Knocking down 34% of his shots from deep while averaging over a block per game in just 20 minutes per contest, Poirier certainly showed some promise last season playing for the Capital City Go Go. The Lakers need athletic strech big men to help space the floor on offense and while Moritz Wagner can shoot and plays with a lot of heart, his lack of athleticism makes him a less than ideal fit alongside LeBron James and Lonzo Ball.
Poirier is likely still a few years away from becoming a solid regular contributor but the Lakers could do far worse than grabbing him for pennies on the dollar. While Poirier is undoubtedly a risk, the Lakers wouldn’t need to give up much and his upside could make him an extremely useful contributor on the Lakers for years to come.
Why would the Lakers Move Back Into the Second Round to Draft Poirier?
The biggest reason for the Lakers to make a move back into the second round is purely financial. Having jumped up to the fourth overall pick, the Lakers sit a measly $200k shy of being able to bring on a 30% max contract free agent. They would most likely be looking to flip young guard Isaac Bonga, himself a second rounder last year, as Poirier would offer a slightly cheaper alternative and enable them the flexibility to go after just about anyone on the market.
Bonga certainly looked promising at times during his run with the South Bay Lakers G-League squad, however, the Lakers have a decent existing backcourt and zero frontcourt help. Flipping Bonga (and a possible future second rounder) to move back into the second round this season would help them check both of those boxes.
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