The Los Angeles Lakers didn't actually win the draft lottery. But the purple and gold certainly felt like winners on May 14th regardless, entering lottery night with just a 9.4 percent chance of earning a top-five pick, and leaving with the No. 4 overall selection. The Lakers thought they'd be choosing in the late lottery, and now find themselves getting their pick of the litter from the “rest” of the 2019 class after the consensus top-three prospects – Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and R.J. Barrett – come off the board.
Who's Los Angeles most interested in? According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Rob Pelinka and company like University of Virginia forward De'Andre Hunter and Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland.
The prevailing thought in NBA circles is DeAndre Hunter and Darius Garland https://t.co/NuiM5ndm3r
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) May 25, 2019
Hunter averaged 15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in 2018-19, shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. Not projected as anything close to a primary offensive option at the next level, Hunter boasts rare physical tools that, combined with innate instincts and a dogged disposition, made him one of the most impactful defenders in college basketball. He'll be drafted for his defensive versatility and potential as a finisher – both around the rim and at the three-point line – more than any possibility he'll develop in to a superstar.
Garland, meanwhile, is universally considered the second-best point guard prospect in this class behind Murray State’s Ja Morant, and a potential top-five pick. He played just five games for the Commodores last season due to a meniscus injury suffered in late November, averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on elite shooting marks of 53.7 percent overall and 47.8 percent from beyond the arc, in the process vaulting ahead of other floor generals in his class.
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