The Los Angeles Lakers are out of the playoffs and now turn their attention to the 2023 NBA Draft. The team has the No. 17 pick in the first round, and there should be several enticing options left on the board at that point. Here are the three best players LA must target with that No. 17 pick in the NBA draft.
For now, let’s assume that LeBron James doesn’t retire and Anthony Davis doesn’t get traded this offseason. While both of those seem like a real (if small) possibility in the wake of the Denver Nuggets callously sweeping the Lakers out of the playoffs, either of those would dramatically change what the Lakers do with the No. 17 pick. So, the three players below are the best fits for a team that is going to load up for one last run at an NBA title in 2023-24.
With that as the criteria, the Lakers will need to target shooting, defense, playmaking, and ideally, a player who can step in and contribute in his rookie season. They probably won’t get a superstar at No. 17 (although stars like Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo did go around this spot), but they do need to get an impact player.
So, with the June 22 NBA draft quickly approaching, here are the Lakers’ three best options at No. 17.
3. G Jordan Hawkins, UConn
The Lakers are in danger of losing D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves this offseason, so they’ll be looking for a shooter who can replace the offense that those two deliver for the team.
UConn guard Jordan Hawkins is an excellent spot-up shooter and a good passer. He averaged 16.2 points per game for the Huskies in his sophomore season and shot 38.8% from deep. Putting the 6-foot-4 guard in the corner on offense should free up space for LeBron and AD to operate in the offense.
Hawkins isn’t a lockdown defender, but he is a smart one who is solid off the ball and will help improve the Lakers' overall team defense. He also gets steals by jumping passing lanes and hustling after loose balls, which often lead to easy transition baskets.
Jordan Hawkins also just turned 21, so he’s a little older than some of the other Lakers options in this year’s NBA draft. That means he should be more ready to come in and contribute right away than some of the younger prospects.
2. F Bilal Coulibaly, Metropolitans 92 (France)
This is the roll of the dice for the Lakers. Bilal Coulibaly is the 6-foot-7, 18-year-old teammate of Victor Wembanyama in France. He is a long, strong, athletic forward who is a strong defender and a high flyer on offense.
Selecting Coulibaly in the Lakers draft would represent Rob Pelinka straddling the fence just a bit between the future and the now.
At pick No. 17, Coulibaly would be one of the rawer prospects available with the most upside. He’s still not a huge offensive threat, but that could come in time, as he has shown flashes. Making this pick could pay off big in the future if Coulibaly develops in a similar way to another foreign player picked at No. 15 in 2013, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
What sets Coulibaly apart from other raw prospects is that he is strong and athletic enough, even at 18, to play solid NBA defense right now. The Frenchman could be a defensive stopper on the wing as a rookie, and that would fill a major need in this Lakers draft.
1. F Jett Howard, Michigan
The best overall fit in this Lakers draft at No. 17 is 6-foot-8 forward Jett Howard from Michigan. Jett is the son of Juwan Howard, the head coach of Michigan, former Fab Five member, longtime NBA player, and two-time NBA title-winner with LeBron James and the Miami Heat at the end of his career.
Jett Howard has been around NBA basketball all his life and should be ready to come in and contribute right away as a scorer and a shooter on the wing for the Lakers.
If the team loses Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, or D’Angelo Russell this offseason, Howard can come in and be a ready-made replacement for one of those players as a scorer.
Howard isn’t a great defender, and he could struggle guarding some of the best wings in the league. But he does give effort, and if he has AD behind him cleaning up mistakes, his offense should more than makeup for his defensive deficiencies.
Plus, as the son of a longtime NBA player, his transition to the league should be smooth, even with a franchise that has more pressure on it than almost any other.
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