The Los Angeles Lakers have already made their presence felt in the 2022 NBA Draft by acquiring the No. 35 pick from the Orlando Magic for a 2028 second-round pick and cash.

Pelinka had stated his intention to buy at least one pick in the draft — they traded their picks in 2019 in Anthony Davis-related moves — but No. 35 is a bit higher than most folks anticipated. Obviously, they're now in play for a higher tier of prospects, including potential first-round fallers.

I threw out some names in my draft preview when I posited the possibility of the Lakers packaging cash and a future second for a higher-than-expected pick. I'll repeat: the Lakers' most glaring need is for more athleticism, ranginess, and versatility on the wing, and high-motor players who can defend and/or shoot — ideally both. Prospects who can contribute right away and fill in the gaps around ball-dominant stars make the most sense (see: Austin Reaves). Conveniently, this particular draft is loaded with intriguing wings projected to go in the early-to-mid-second round.

Let's run through a few players the Lakers could consider before the festivities get underway at the Barclays Center.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LKKen7rCcxI6vMw6PY77d?si=f3699e64138843a5

1) Wendell Moore Jr.

According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie's comprehensive draft guide, the former Duke wing was the highest-ranked player (No. 31) the Lakers hosted for pre-draft workouts.

Moore Jr. spent three years polishing his game in Durham, rather than going one-and-done after a raw freshman season. This was prudent: Moore Jr. emerged as one of the nation's best small forwards in 2021-22, winning the Julius Erving Award, earning All-Conference defense honors, and leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

From the ACC tourney to the Final Four, Moore Jr. averaged 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on piping-hot .471/.423/.931 splits. He's a bit shorter than you'd like (6'5 in kicks), but he's a smooth playmaker with a 7'0 wingspan. He can defend on and off-ball and will make the energy plays (cutting/crashing glass/helping) the Lakers sorely lacked last season.

2) Jake LaRavia

LaRavia will likely be off the board by No. 35, but the Lakers might have to pounce if he falls.

The junior from Wake Forest is nearly 6'8 (he can play 3 and 4) and totally understands how to excel in his role. He's an instinctual passer and half-court operator — on and off-ball — can hit the open three (38.4% in college), and competes his tail off on D, though his pure athleticism could limit his ability to guard in the NBA.

He's one of those guys that was overlooked coming out of high school and scrapped and clawed to his current position. Sometimes, those are the right dudes to populate your roster with.

The Lakers did not bring in LaRavia for a pre-draft workout (that we know of).

3) Patrick Baldwin Jr.

On the other hand, sometimes potential pays off.

Baldwin Jr. was a McDonald's All-American and top-ranked recruit in 2021, but he struggled in his one season at Milwaukee playing for his dad. His shooting suffered from the guard play and lack of spacing around him, and he shut it down with an ankle injury after 12 games.

Still, there are reasons why he was such a highly-touted prospect and chose to enter the draft now. He's gigantic for a wing (6'10, 231 pounds, 7'2 wingspan), and smart basketball people believe his picturesque (and very high) shooting stroke will translate to the next level. If all goes right, he could morph into a deadly 3-and-D.

He's only 19, so whether he can contribute right away is a major question mark. But his theoretical upside could be too enticing to pass up. He could provide a palpable injection of youth and athleticism to Los Angeles — as Jonathan Kuminga did at times for the Golden State Warriors throughout the regular season.

4) Peyton Watson

I had to throw a UCLA guy in here (the Lakers worked out three of them — Watson, Johnny Juzang, Jules Bernard). Watson is ranked No. 39 on Vecenie's board, though other prognosticators have him in the 20-30 range.

Like Moore Jr. and Baldwin Jr., Watson was a top recruit out of high school. He never found his best form with the Bruins, in part due to depth-chart issues. He averaged just 3.3 points per game and his three-point shooting was non-existent. But, his ceiling as a versatile defender is the roof. He's 6'8 with a 7'1 wingspan and has impressive quickness for his size (he shot up from 6'5 to 6'8 after committing to UCLA).

Again, he's raw and doesn't provide spot-up shooting, so he may not offer what the Lakers are looking for at this precise moment. Conversely, they need long, big defensive-minded wings as much as anything. They can seek snipers in free agency.

5) Caleb Houstan

Houstan was another top recruit who had an up-and-down freshman season, hence his early-second-round projection. I think he makes sense for the Lakers.

He's 19 but considered by some analysts to be a winning player ready to play a role right away. His measurables are ideal: 6'8, 205, 7'0 wingspan. He drilled nearly 39% of his catch-and-shoot threes in 2021-22 — which made up the vast majority of 169 attempts. In general, he's an excellent off-ball mover and takes care of the rock.

He can tighten the screws a bit on D, but he's shown flashes of being an elite on-ball and team defender, and his motor on that end is what Darvin Ham is looking for.

Other prospects that make sense for the Lakers at No. 35: MarJon Beauchamp or Max Christie, should either slide. Also: Andrew Nembhard, David Roddy, Justin Lewis, Christian Braun

This is already fun.