Los Angeles Lakers: Predicting the career outcomes of 2017 draft picks

The Los Angeles Lakers walked away from the 2017 NBA Draft with four new players. When their careers are over, what types of impacts will they have made for this franchise?

On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers took their next step toward a brighter future during the 2017 NBA Draft. After some maneuvering, they found themselves in possession of four picks, including three in the first round.

Overall, it was a solid haul for a rebuilding franchise. With Magic Johnson at the helm, the Lakers went to work, looking for ways to add young talent while improving the overall outlook for this squad. While I believe the four prospects Los Angeles added will help them get better in the coming years, not every player is headed for stardom.

That’s why we’re here — to examine the futures of the four newest Lakers. It’s obviously early in the process, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate on how their careers will pan out. I mean, that’s essentially the point of this part of the offseason for us from-far observers, right?

So what does the future have in store for the 2017 draft class? Which players will develop into invaluable parts of the Lakers’ lineup, and which ones will struggle to make their mark on the NBA? It’s anyone’s guess at this point, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to figure it out based on what we currently know.

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With that in mind, here are my predictions for the Lakers’ latest additions and how their careers will pan out. Just remember to not take it too seriously–these are just one man’s opinions based on the early parts of these players’ basketball careers.