Getty New Los Angeles Lakers guard Kevon Harris.
Thanks to a number of trades, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t going to get a lot of picks in the draft over the next several years. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t find some rookies. They’ve signed a couple of undrafted guys after not having a single pick in this year’s draft.
According to Ben Stinar, the Lakers are adding another name to their rookie haul by signing Stephen F. Austin star guard Kevon Harris.
Kevon Harris is signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent Billy Davis tells me.
Harris is out of a small school so he didn’t get a lot of serious looks in the draft. Despite that fact, he did the best he could. He was named Southland Conference Player of the Year after a strong year. He’s a work in progress but he clearly has potential.
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Harris Can Shoot 3s & Score
An appealing aspect of Harris’ game is the fact that he can sink 3s. He averaged about 40% from beyond the arc over his four years at Stephen F. Austin. Being a dependable 3-point shooter is a good way to find your way onto a team in the NBA.
Harris can also score. He averaged over 17 points a game over his last two seasons in college. One of his biggest achievements in college was leading Stephen F. Austin to a massive upset over Duke. He scored 26 points in that game. Other than that, he hasn’t much of a chance to face top competition. However, a big game against a team like Duke is no small feat. He’s got some potential and he’s the perfect type of player for the Lakers to take a shot on.
He reacted to the news that he was joining the defending champions.
Talen Horton-Tucker to Have His Role Expanded
While the chances of any of the team’s rookies seeing the court are slim to none, some young players on the Lakers could see more playing time. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Talen Horton-Tucker is a player to watch.
“I’m going to tell you a guy who is going to play a lot for them this year is Talen Horton-Tucker, the second-round pick from last year,” Shelburne said on the Hoop Collective podcast.
ESPN’s Tom Bontemps also had some insight on Horton-Tucker.
“He’s a guy that a couple of executives that I trust really liked in the draft,” Bontemps said. “[He’s] an intriguing player. He definitely could settle into a role for them on the wing as a long, athletic guy that can guard some people. No question.”
The young guard surprised the masses last season when the Lakers inserted him into a playoff game. What was even more surprising was that he played well. He’s obviously still a work in progress but the Lakers like him. It sounds like the team is going to give him plenty of chances to prove himself this year. With the shortened offseason, a player like Horton-Tucker stepping up could be a big deal.
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