The Los Angeles Lakers have a whole new roster to build around now that Luka Doncic is part of the equation. They have to figure out who maximizes his talent.
Los Angeles now has one of the premier players in the NBA who can score and set others up at a rate that almost no one else can. They need to get guys who can hit open shots that Doncic will create for them.
The Lakers do not have a first-round pick this year. They traded it away to the New Orleans Pelicans when they acquired Anthony Davis, who was then used to get Doncic.
More news: Lakers’ Jeanie Buss Reveals How Dad Jerry Would’ve Felt About Luka Doncic Trade
That means that they only have their second-round pick to use on this year’s crop of college players. They have to make sure to make that pick count.
Bleacher Report has the Lakers taking a guard who can help run the show off the bench. They have a mock draft with them selecting Tyrese Proctor from Duke.
Proctor is someone who can really shoot it from deep. He is over 40 percent from behind the 3-point line this year. His playmaking has suffered with Cooper Flagg on the roster, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do it.
The Lakers need someone who can run the offense off the bench. They are just staggering minutes with Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves to figure out the playmaking.
Proctor would be someone who could come in and compete for a roster spot to be the backup point guard. They need a true point guard to help the offense be maximized when the bench guys are out there.
More Lakers news: Luka Doncic ‘Hoping’ to Get His Own Statue With Lakers
The Lakers are in need of other players besides another guard. They will need to address those needs in free agency.
Los Angeles will be searching for a new starting center. They won’t find one of those in the second round of the draft this year, so that’s why Proctor is the choice.
Proctor is averaging 11.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game this season for Duke.
More Los Angeles Lakers news: Anthony Edwards Responded Perfectly After Being Ejected From Lakers Game
Former Lakers First-Round Pick Joins 76ers on Two-Way Contract
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Feb 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban laughs during the second half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat at American Airlines
The Boston Celtics are one of the teams who are expected to be a contender at the end of the season. They are the defending NBA champions, so they feel like the
Nikola Jokić is still rewriting the record books — and treating it like just another day at the office. In a 149-141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns
The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but as of late, they have been defined more by their struggles than their triumphs.The Knicks are 0-7