Lakers Land ACC Star PG In ESPN Post-Lottery Mock Draft

Should the Lakers keep or trade their pick?

Feb 3, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Cormac Ryan (3) reacts / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The order for June's 2024 NBA Draft is set. The lottery teams are set and will look to find the next player to take their team to the next level. Although this draft class isn't considered among the best, there's still some high-level talent who could contribute in a big way. 

While the Los Angeles Lakers don't hold a lottery pick, they once again have the No. 17 pick in the draft. The New Orleans Pelicans own the rights to the pick, but all signs point to the Pelicans holding out and will own the Lakers 2025 pick instead. 

The Lakers' No. 17 pick is highly coveted, as they'll likely use it in a trade this summer. However, at the moment, it belongs to them. ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released a post-lottery mock draft, and in it, they have the Lakers selecting star Duke guard Jared McCain. 

Woo says McCain could be a player who gets heavy minutes immediately due to his shooting ability. 

"The Pelicans own the rights to this Lakers pick but are expected to defer it to 2025 to receive the pick in what should be a deeper draft. Assuming that's what happens, expect Los Angeles to target an NBA-ready talent who can contribute next season as part of what could be an overhauled roster. McCain's shooting ability, feel for his role and capacity to play both guard positions could fast-track him into minutes somewhere next season after a solid freshman year at Duke, presuming he can hold up defensively early on."

The odds of the Lakers keeping the No. 17 pick are astronomically low. The Lakers brass will do everything they can to trade it in a package to acquire an All-Star player that will complement Anthony David and LeBron James. 

If the Lakers cannot trade it for whatever reason and land McCain, he can play a role with the current Lakers and certainly in the post-James era. The 20-year-old had himself an outstanding freshman season at Duke, averaging 14.3 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from behind the arc. 

He was a five-star recruit from Sacramento, California. According to NBADraft.net, McCain's NBA comparison is Bryn Forbes. 

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