Lakers Draft News: 3 Players LA Might Pick In 2017

The Los Angeles Lakers' playoff hopes were dashed sometime in December and now are in the position of hoping the draft lottery yields a pick in the top three or else new general manager Rob Pelinka will be stuck with just a late first-rounder L.A. received from the Houston Rockets for Lou Williams. Assuming the Lakers keep their draft pick, there are only a handful of players likely to be selected in a pool of players that lacks a "franchise changer."

The draft is packed with freshmen stars and is lacking in elite foreign players. While Duke has an impressive pair of frosh stars in Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles, and Florida State's Jonathan Isaac has plenty of potential, there are three players that seem to stand out in this group.

Lonzo Ball, PG - UCLA

Because the Lakers have a young point guard (D'Angelo Russell), Ball doesn't necessarily fill a void on this roster. However, the Southern California product seems like a good fit with the Lakers because of his versatility and since his dad even let it slip out that he wants to play for the purple and gold. Ball is an exceptional passer and plays with a great deal of maturity. His shot is unorthodox but plenty of quality NBA players have overcome that. His field-goal percentage (54.4) is excellent for a perimeter player and he shares scoring duties on a Bruins squad that has five other players averaging double digits. Since the Lakers also have a deep group, Ball might fit right in with another group of scorers.

Markelle Fultz, PG - Washington

He has a great feel for the game and is more of a combo guard than a pure point guard. Fultz is very good at creating his own shot and could thrive in the NBA because of his open-court game. His outside shot is solid but needs some work at the professional level. The Lakers may want someone who has a better track record for winning, considering the Huskies failed to reach the tournament after a 9-22 record. On the bright side, Fultz gets a head start fine-tuning his game for the NBA.

Joshua Jackson, SF - Kansas

Yes, the Lakers have Brandon Ingram as their small forward of the future but Jackson might be the best fit for L.A. in this class because he does so many things well. He's excellent in the open floor and looks comfortable in half-court sets because he's very good at penetrating. At 6'8, he might draw some similarities to former Kansas star Andrew Wiggins, who has lived up to expectations with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jackson can play three positions on offense and is a very good defender. If his outside shot improves, Jackson seems like he will be a certain All-Star.