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The Los Angeles Lakers continue to be linked to Oregon guard Chris Duarte with the 2021 NBA Draft just days away. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie reported several NBA teams believe the Lakers have made a “promise” to Duarte heading into the draft.
Franchises sometimes offer a prospect a promise they will select them if the player is available. The hope is the player will shut down individual workouts with opposing teams. Vecenie is not buying the promise rumor as the analyst has the team selecting certified LSU scorer Cam Thomas.
“Chris Duarte remains the name that comes up most for the Lakers,” Vecenie explained. “He is working out for teams above the Lakers in the draft order, so I’m a bit dubious that there is a ‘promise’ here — or anywhere — for Duarte, something that teams around the league have speculated on throughout the pre-draft process.
“Having said that, he doesn’t get here. So the Lakers go Thomas instead, a player who is invited to the 2021 NBA Draft Green Room but on whom I can’t quite get a read on his actual landing spots. Again, some evaluators really buy Thomas’ ability to get a bucket from anywhere, and others actively dislike the fact that he doesn’t pass or defend. The Lakers might be the perfect landing spot for him because I would venture LeBron James would hold him accountable on those things early in his career. Another name I’ve heard here for the Lakers is Tre Mann.”
The Lakers Are the ‘Floor’ for Duarte: Report
While rumors of a Lakers promise continue to be debated, it may not become relevant on draft night as Duarte has a chance to move up into the late lottery. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor believes Duarte will not slip past the Lakers at No. 22.
“Duarte probably has a floor, that’s the Lakers at No. 22,” O’Connor explained on The Mismatch podcast. “That’s probably his floor. Whether it’s a promise or whether it’s a strong indication, I don’t know, that’s unclear right now. But it seems like 22 would be the spot, that like he’s not dropping past that.”
Duarte would give the Lakers some much-needed shooting as the Ducks guard shot 42.4% from behind the arc during the 2020-21 season. He also averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 steals in 26 starts.
The Lakers May Need to Trade Up If They Want Duarte
The challenge is Duarte may be long gone by the time the Lakers are on the clock. Both Vecenie and O’Connor have Duarte going to the Warriors at No. 14 in their latest mock drafts. According to Lakers Nation’s Ryan Ward, the team hosted the following players for a July 24th workout: Louisville’s Carlik Jones, SMU’s Feron Hunt, Missouri’s Jeremiah Tilmon, Creighton’s Mitch Ballock, Texas’ Greg Brown and Utah State’s Neemias Queta.
The Lakers trading the No. 22 pick cannot be ruled out as well. The Athletic’s Zach Harper expects the Lakers to explore packaging the No. 22 pick along with Kyle Kuzma in a trade for a veteran.
The Lakers are in ‘Win Now’ mode with the clock ticking on LeBron James,” Harper explained. “I think exploring a trade of this pick and Kyle Kuzma for a helpful veteran is high on their priority list.”
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