Lakers Rumors: Lonzo Ball On LA's Draft Radar, But Is He The Right Pick?

Perhaps lost amid the incessant chatter about his father's very public antics, Lonzo Ball's possible future with the Los Angeles Lakers may still come down to how he can play on the court rather than his off-the-court status in a major media market.

Ball joining the Lakers seems to be more fact than a rumor at this point, with just about every media outlet citing how the UCLA point guard is slated to be drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick. New team president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka can pull the trigger on what seems like an obvious move or they can explore other options by either drafting a different player or testing the trade market.

Ball is certainly a major talent and immediately draws comparisons to Jason Kidd, a former 10-time All-Star from California. Ball owns many of the attributes of a classic point guard—much like Kidd when he entered the NBA in 1994 as the No. 2 pick—combining excellent court vision with exceptional passing skills. The 19-year-old's immense knowledge of the game also extends to his shot selection, as he finished his freshman season with a 55.1 percent field-goal percentage.

However, Ball still seems to be a work in progress. He has an unorthodox shooting style and has been known to disappear in some crucial games for the Bruins. Against Arizona in the Pac-12 tournament, Ball converted just two shots in 35 minutes and had four turnovers in an 86-75 loss. UCLA would also lose by that same score to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament, with Ball converting just one of his six three-point attempts and again turning the ball over four times. He was thoroughly outshined by combo guard De'Aaron Fox, who poured in 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting.

Meanwhile, the Lakers may already have the guard position covered. D'Angelo Russell was selected with the No. 2 overall pick and has shown flashes of promise at just 21 years old. The Lakers also have Jordan Clarkson, a highly polished 24-year-old combo guard, tied up for the next three seasons. There is also interest in the Lakers pursuing potential 2018 free agent Russell Westbrook, who like Ball is Southern California native and played for UCLA.

Conventional wisdom says to draft on talent rather than need, so the perceived logjam at guard should probably be disregarded. That was the case in 1996 when then-general manager Jerry West traded for the No. 13 pick to land Kobe Bryant, while the Lakers already had fan-favorite Eddie Jones at shooting guard. The decision to draft Bryant seemed to work out just fine.

The big question for the Lakers surrounds the other players they may want to consider over Ball. The Boston Celtics have the top pick and many expect them to select shooting guard Markelle Fultz of Washington. That would leave Pelinka and Johnson to consider swingmen Josh Jackson of Kansas and Jayson Tatum of Duke, as well as Fox.

The Lakers don't necessarily need a small forward, either, but Johnson and Pelinka might feel Jackson or Tatum are too good to pass up. Both Jackson and Tatum come from prestigious programs where they practiced with some of the best college basketball players in the nation and competed in competitive conferences. Jackson is a highly athletic player who is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.3 points per game on 56.6 shooting. Like last year's No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram, Tatum has that Duke pedigree and is coming off a solid season in which he averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds.

The other option is to trade the pick and there is one player that seems to clearly be on the Lakers' radar: Paul George. The Lakers are sorely lacking in a veteran star in a league that seems to be dominated by them. George, 27, looks like a perfect fit for the Lakers with his ability to penetrate and knock down three-point shots.

Marc Spears of ESPN's Undefeated pointed out what many were probably thinking when he referenced moving the No. 2 pick in a package to the Indiana Pacers for the Southern California native. "It’s a no-brainer for the Lakers to make a move for the four-time NBA All-Star, who could be their representative during the 2018 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles," Spears wrote on Wednesday.

It's unclear if the Pacers think they can still hold onto George. New general manager Kevin Pritchard doesn't necessarily need to rush a deal and may consider testing the market at the trade deadline when he gets a better grasp of what the Lakers and other teams are offering.

More than likely, the Lakers will try to sign George as a free agent in the summer of 2018 and use the pick to draft Ball next month.

In the end, Johnson might be the main reason Ball is drafted by Los Angeles. The Laker legend has a preference for creative point guards and no doubt appreciates Ball's commitment to the game.