The Los Angeles Lakers have officially placed their collective foot into the draft process. The team will have the second overall pick in the NBA Draft and as such will almost certainly pick whichever of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are left after the Philadelphia 76ers make their selection. At this time, it appears Ingram is the most likely to fall to LA.
Despite the two-man race at the top of the draft, the Lakers are doing their due diligence. That starts with Marquette forward Henry Ellenson, who according to the Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski will work out for the Lakers on Saturday.
Ellenson is a 6’11” power forward. His skillset includes a potential to eventually be a good shooter, spacing the floor at either of the big-man positions, as well as his ability to handle the ball and move fluidly and comfortably. The freshman is currently projected by DraftExpress to go 15th in the draft.
For the Lakers, this workout is mostly a case of pure due diligence. It can come into play should the Lakers decide to trade down from their positions and gain plenty of assets, an unlikely scenario that would require a bevy of players and picks LA is interested in. Additionally, the team can begin a scouting report of the 19-year-old, which could be used down the line in potential trade or free agency discussions once Ellenson is actually established in the league.
What the report tells us more about, however, is that the Lakers are now immersed in the draft process and working out players, even with soon-to-be head coach Luke Walton still busy on the Warriors’ bench during the Finals. While no official word has been given yet, workouts for Simmons and Ingram could be coming soon, although the former may not work out for the team at all.
