It was international night for the Los Angeles Lakers, who wrapped up the 2018 NBA Draft with three foreign-born players. Here are the grades for the Lakers’ draft picks.
Before the 2018 NBA Draft even began, the Los Angeles Lakers were considered winners. They traded Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to the Cleveland Cavaliers midseason, recouping a first round pick they lost in the 2012 Steve Nash sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns.
So no matter who the Lakers ended up drafting at No. 25, they were getting a player they ultimately didn’t have a shot at with their second round picks.
Well, probably.
The Lakers used the No. 25 on Michigan (via Germany) big man Moritz Wagner, who most draft analysts had going early in the second round.
Using the No. 39 pick they acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers (will be official after the NBA moratorium period), the Lakers selected another German, 18-year-old Isaac Bonga.
Lastly, with the 47th pick, the Lakers selected Ukrainian guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who played his college ball at Kansas.
Many thought the Lakers acquired the No. 39 pick to try and package it with other picks and move up in the draft or make a major trade. Despite all the Kawhi Leonard chatter and the possibility of a blockbuster trade in the works, no major transactions were made by the Lakers.
Now that there has been time to digest the picks, it’s time to take a closer look. Here are the 2018 NBA Draft grades for the Los Angeles Lakers.