Lakers draft choices (from L to R): Brandon Ingram, Dragan Bender, and Ben Simmons. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers are eyeing Brandon Ingram as their second overall selection in the coming 2016 NBA Draft as the team had "fallen out of interest" in Croatian prospect Dragan Bender, but only if Ben Simmons is already unavailable.
While virtually all mock drafts circulating online show Duke's Ingram and LSU's Simmons as the prospective top two picks this June, LA is said to be attracted to the 18-year-old, 7-foot-1 Croatian that the team is considering to use their no. 2 pick on him.
The Lakers have reportedly learned their lesson last summer when they passed up Latvian rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis and drafted former Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell instead. And so they had undergone their due diligence this time on Bender to ensure that they will not be regretting anything again in the future, as per Lakers Nation.
However, NJ Advance Media reported that the team had "fallen out of interest" in the Maccabi Tel Aviv power forward after a series of thorough investigations.
The Hollywood squad is said to be content with choosing the safer move, wait who between Simmons and Ingram are the Philadelphia 76ers going to select and just draft who will be left of the two.
Bender, who played limited minutes with his Israeli club last season, indeed has a lot of upside because of his size and unusual range for a seven-footer, but the Lakers are allegedly not convinced that he worth the no. 2 pick they own this summer.
General Manager Mitch Kupchak had reportedly flown to Israel to scout on Bender earlier this year, but because of his lack of playing time, there was no way the Lakers executive could decide whether he would be valuable enough to be drafted that high.
With growing speculation that the Sixers are going to select Simmons as the top pick on June 23, LA is gradually accepting the fact that Ingram would be the guy for them.
If things turn out according to plan, then Ingram will join his future fellow Lakers teammates Russell and Julius Randle in the USA Select Team that will train with the current USA Basketball Men's National Team in Las Vegas in July.
An early connection between the three would be great for the Lakers as they can start to mesh with one another and also train with some of the best basketball players in the world at the same time.
