Lakers Projected to Land Former Big-Ten Star In Latest Mock Draft

Should Los Angeles trade or keep the first round pick?

The Los Angeles Lakers will hold the No. 17 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft unless they decide to trade the selection for more immediate help. Los Angeles needs to upgrade the roster and while grabbing a young player could be nice, there is no time to waste with this team.

However, if they do keep the pick, they will have plenty of options to choose from. This draft class isn't the strongest but it does have good depth within.

In a new mock draft by Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, the Lakers land center Kel'el Ware out of Indiana. Ware was great for Indiana and could make a big difference for the Lakers.

"Kel'el Ware measured well at the NBA combine, even showing a standing reach that was 2.5 inches longer than that of potential No. 1 overall pick Alex Sarr. He was also down 12 pounds from Indiana's listing. For Ware to maximize his draft stock, he'll have to convince teams to buy into his three-point range. He still has a very high skill level for a center who's above average athletically and nearly 7'0" in socks. And the big increase in scoring production helped validate the effectiveness of his tools, movement and shotmaking."

Wasserman compared Ware to Brook Lopez, potentially giving the Lakers a big who could space the floor well. Last season, Ware shot 42.5 percent from beyond the three-point line, something the Lakers would love to have in a big man.

His ability to put the ball in the basket, combined with his improved defense could make this a steal. The Lakers just took a player from Indiana last season so they are familiar with the program.

If they do take Ware, he would serve as a backup for Anthony Davis. Los Angeles would need to help him develop his game a little bit but he has real potential. This could end up being a great pick for the Lakers if he were to land to them in the draft.

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