The Los Angeles Lakers have a huge offseason ahead of them. In both the 2023 NBA Draft and 2023 NBA free agency, the Lakers are going to have to do whatever they can to entice LeBron James to return and stave off retirement. Of course, LeBron actually retiring seems like a long shot as of right now, but his cryptic comments after the season is certainly a power play to make sure the Lakers don't rest on their laurels. Although NBA free agency will most likely be where the Lakers make a majority of their moves, the NBA Draft can also be a place where they find improvements for the roster. The Lakers currently have the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and there are a plethora of prospects they can target. However, there are two sneaky players in particular that the Lakers should go after: Kris Murray and Cason Wallace.
Kris Murray and Cason Wallace would both fill needs on the Lakers roster that they desperately need to address this offseason. LeBron James is only interested in competing for championships as long as he is still in the NBA, so the Lakers need to dissect what kept them out of the NBA Finals this season. The two primary factors seemed to be the lack of 3-point shooting on the roster as well as not good enough guard play. Both Murray and Wallace can address one of these variables, while the Lakers can supplement drafting them with savvy NBA free agency decisions. As Rob Pelinka prepares for the beginning of the offseason, he should keep an eye on Kris Murray and Cason Wallace as potential targets for the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
*Stats via ESPN
Kris Murray, Iowa, F
Kris Murray is a very intriguing prospect out of the University of Iowa. Murray was the leading scorer and rebounder on the Hawkeyes this season, and despite his 6'8 frame, he did a lot of his damage from the perimeter. Over his college career, Murray shot 34.8% from the 3-point arc, a percentage that the Lakers would highly covet from a bigger forward next season. The Lakers really struggled shooting the 3-point shot this season, and it was evident in the postseason as they pretty much lived and died by their paint production. Adding Murray would give them an exciting young forward with the versatility of being able to shoot the long ball.
Besides his ability to shoot, Murray is the perfect prototype to come in and learn from LeBron James in his last few years in the NBA. He has a very similar size and build to James, so the development he could experience playing behind one of the greatest players of all time could potentially turn him into a future All-Star. His 20.2 points per game in this last season with Iowa showed that he can be a scorer, but playing behind James could help transform him into a dominant player at all three levels on both sides of the floor. When the 2023 NBA Draft arrives, the Lakers should highly consider taking Kris Murray with the No. 17 selection.
Cason Wallace, Kentucky, G
The Lakers biggest kryptonite in the postseason was their inconsistent guard play. Austin Reaves was their best guard, but he seemed to play best as the third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis and not necessarily always with the ball in his hands. D'Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder handled the majority of the primary ball-handling duties, and both were too inconsistent to be relied upon as the future of the position. At the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, this is where a sneaky selection like Cason Wallace could come in handy.
As a freshman at Kentucky last season, Cason Wallace was potentially the best defensive guard in college basketball. He was no slouch scoring the ball either, but coming in as a defensive menace at just 19-years-old could pay dividends for his future as a dominant guard in this league. Playing with Anthony Davis and LeBron James will do wonders for the development of Wallace's offensive game, one that is already pretty polished at 19. What the Lakers truly need out of their point guard is consistency, and Wallace could come in showing that he possesses the tenacity to dominate every play and take both ends of the floor seriously. His defensive intangibles bode well for him being able to fit the mold that the Lakers would want out of their point guard; he is also a very solid 3-point shooter at 34.6% shooting from beyond the arc, so he would suffice as a perimeter scorer in only his rookie season. Out of all the players that the Lakers could target at No. 17 in the 2023 NBA Draft, Cason Wallace would be a really sneaky selection.
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