Los Angeles Lakers: 5 options for pick No. 28 in 2017 NBA Draft

The Los Angeles Lakers have the 28th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. What players should they target to build a strong roster for next year and the future?

Superstar players generally come from the top half of the first round, as their talent and pedigree shines through before they enter the NBA Draft. The Los Angeles Lakers have been taking advantage of this fact, amassing high draft picks in each of the past three seasons to select Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram.

This year they will again pick at the top, and many expect them to take Lonzo Ball out of UCLA. That would give them a young core with upside and plenty of offensive versatility. But starters do not fill out a team, and the Lakers are armed with another first round pick they can use to build a strong roster top to bottom.

This year’s group of prospects is both talented at the top and deep throughout the top 40. That means that at pick No. 28, the Lakers have a number of options to choose from. If they do draft Ball or another point guard, they will boast a young rotation of backcourt players including Russell and Jordan Clarkson.

They also have a tall stack of centers, from Larry Nance Jr. and Ivica Zubac to the highly paid Timofey Mozgov and the underrated Tarik Black. That doesn’t even account for Randle’s best position long-term perhaps being the pivot.

Where the Lakers need help is at the forward positions, where a backup to Brandon Ingram is a must-have. Whether Ingram ultimately plays the 3 or the 4, Los Angeles needs players at both forward positions.

As they look to the prospects likely to be available at 28, who stands out as a potential help on the wing? Which players can step in at the 4? And how does Los Angeles address its biggest weakness — a lack of strong defensive options among their core?