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

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Mar 14, 2017; Dayton, OH, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Wesley Iwundu (25) moves the ball in the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the first four of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Wesley Iwundu, SG, Kansas State

The greatest need for the Lakers is on the wing, but the problem is that the rest of the league desires wings as well. Wing players with first-round talent are going to go in the lottery, and even players with significant weaknesses could leap into the first round.

One such player is Wesley Iwundu, a senior wing out of Kansas State. There are certainly reasons not to like Iwundu as a draft prospect — he will turn 23 early in his rookie season, he was not the most efficient scorer in college, and he doesn’t bring a truly elite skill on either end of the court.

That being said, there isn’t anything he is truly terrible at either. While he’s not the draft’s best passer, he is accurate when throwing dimes. At Kansas State he became comfortable running pick-and-rolls — a directly translatable skill. He shot 37.6 percent from three despite having to create most of those shots.

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Defensively he brings versatility, the buzz word of recent drafts. As The Ringer notes, his ability to switch between guards and wings makes him a perfect fit for the modern position-less NBA. He has quick hands and lateral movement, enabling him to stay in front of a variety of opposing players.

Iwundu would be the perfect piece for a strong bench unit, pushing the ball in transition and serving as a secondary ball handler. He could play in larger units at the 2, slide down to the 3 or even later in his career, play as a small-ball 4. He’s the perfect piece to plug into almost any lineup. The upside is there for Iwundu to become something even greater.

The highest upside available at 28 is not Iwundu – at 22 he’s already formed into the basic player he is going to be. That player is valuable, but it’s not franchise-altering.

That being said, at some point swinging for the fences should be passed up for a solid double, and Iwundu plays the perfect position to meet one of the Lakers’ needs.

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