Ben Simmons (Photo : Mike Stobe | Getty Images Sport)
Barely an hour before the NBA Draft Lottery, some insights on the projected no.1 pick and the team with the most at stake.
The LA Lakers are the team with the most at stake in the lottery. Most of the teams will run the risk of sliding down three spots at most. The Lakers will lose their first round pick if they drop from the top three spots.
That being said, there are rumors that the Lakers have only two players they are interested in and if they keep their pick they would rather trade it for a veteran. In an ESPN Insider article, Chad Ford shared his intel on the team.
"Simmons may be the top pick, but assuming he's off the board Ingram is an incredible consolation prize and actually fits a bigger need for L.A. However, if the Lakers fall to to No. 3, things get tougher. Neither Murray nor Dunn fits a need. Bender is intriguing, but a project."
Thus, the Lakers are not exactly on "Simmons or bust" mode. Ingram is a fine addition and they have a need at small forward. However, the buck stops there according to Ford's conclusion.
"Multiple sources said at the combine this week that they expect the pick to be in play if it's No. 3 -- with the Lakers looking for a young veteran in return."
The Lakers are definitely a team in a rush to compete after three years of mediocrity and they only want to draft players that could be in line with that goal. They are also loaded with point/combo guards like D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson so Murray, Dunn and even Hield (undersized to be a three) would be redundant.
Speaking of Simmons, the LSU standout has made himself scarce for pre-draft activities like the Draft Combine. He seems confident about his chances to get picked, but if he had it his way he would rather go to the Lakers.
This may seem like the worst-kept secret in the draft and now Simmons has another reason why he would want a ticket to Tinseltown. According to Nick de Paula from The Vertical at Yahoo Sports, Simmons' agents believe that getting picked by LA could spike up the shoe deal offers.
"They're hoping that if the Lakers land the top overall pick - which they have a 19.9 percent chance of doing - Nike will move closer to matching adidas' offer," de Paula said.
Does this thinking seem outdated as some of Nike's biggest endorsers are in small market teams? DePaula still believes that it's a factor.
"Market size has mattered less in today's social-media age, where signature stars like Kevin Durant,Damian Lillard and LeBron James have established themselves in historically lesser markets. But the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks will continue to be the exceptions that brands consistently focus on."
