Los Angeles Lakers: First round guards to target in 2018 NBA Draft

Shake Milton, PG — SMU

There’s been a lot of talk about Shake Milton in Laker Land. Although a large part of that has to do with his recent workout for the team, there’s plenty of reason for the buzz surrounding the idea of the former SMU star donning the purple and gold in the near future.

Here’s his interview following his workout with the Lakers, courtesy of LakersNation.com:

As Milton alluded to above, there are a couple of keys to his intrigue as an NBA-caliber talent. Not only is he a proven shooter (44.9 percent from the field, 43.4 percent from deep in 2017-18), but he’s got the physical tools to be a defensive menace.

Although not as well-rounded of a point guard prospect as Brunson, Milton is a more dynamic offensive threat who has the potential to develop into a dangerous two-way player. While he isn’t as polished on the defensive end as Melton, the former Mustang is more adept at scoring and can pull down a significant amount of boards as well (4.7 per game last year).

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Of all the players on this list, Milton appears to be the most likely to be drafted before No. 25. However, if he’s still available when the Lakers are up, I find it hard to imagine Magic not seriously considering calling his name. The upside and scoring potential he possesses as a backup point guard are simply too tempting to ignore.