Lakers Draft 2017: 3 Players LA Can Pick With The 28th Pick

The NBA draft is just 15 days away with most of the attention surrounding players like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and De'Aaron Fox and their workouts for teams with high picks. The Los Angeles Lakers, who hired a new team president and general manager in March, have been at the center of media reports despite most indications pointing to them selecting Ball with their second No. 2 overall pick in three years.

While top picks can often dramatically change an organization, there have been plenty of late picks that have produced positive results. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the 15th pick of the 2013 draft while Draymond Green was the No. 35 pick of the 2012 draft. In 2011, Kawhi Leonard was selected at No. 15, while Jimmy Butler was taken at No. 30 and Isaiah Thomas was the final player selected at No. 60.

The Lakers have a long history of finding quality players outside of the lottery. They've also done well in recent years by picking Jordan Clarkson with the 46th pick in 2014, Larry Nance Jr. with the 27th pick in 2015 and Ivica Zubac at No. 32 in 2016.

The Lakers do not have a pick in the second round but they own the No. 28 pick which was acquired in the deal that sent Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets. General manager Rob Pelinka will have his choice of several underrated players and is expected to choose talent over need.

Rodions Kurucs, SF, Barcelona

A very good athlete, Kurucs has good penetration skills and can knock down outside shots. Scouts like his scoring touch and basketball I.Q. and he seems to have the potential to mature into a solid contributor. The Latvian has battled injuries and has some strength issues, but he could still be a steal in the late first round.

Tyler Lydon, PF, Syracuse

Against top competition, Lydon proved that he was among the best big men in the country. He scored 29 points against Georgetown, 24 points against Notre Dame and 26 points against eventual champion North Carolina. Lydon, 21, can also knock down three-point shots, which has become more important to NBA teams. He's already a good rebounder.

Ivan Rabb, PF, California

Though he didn't quite live up to the hype after being selected to the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, Raab is a unique talent who seems like he could be a serviceable bench player in his rookie season. The 20-year-old is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the highly competitive Pac-12 conference. He's lanky at 6-foot-11 and 220 pounds and is somewhat reminiscent of former veteran big man P.J. Brown.