Los Angeles Lakers: 3 reasons Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk was a good pick

2. Low-cost option

Finding a reliable rotation player in the second round is a difficult proposition in an era where every team has extensively scouted extensively 100 draft-eligible players. Yet every season, there are players who slip out of the top 30 picks, granting teams the ability to lock in low-cost options who can help their team at a discount.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are all currently reaping the benefits of such players — Malcolm Brogdon, Semi Ojeleye and Jordan Bell, respectively — and the Los Angeles Lakers may become the latest team to leverage that value after drafting Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.

The former Kansas wing signed a deal worth $4.6 million over three seasons, or around $1.5 million per season. By contrast, Lonzo Ball, while a better player than Mykhailiuk, will make $7.4 million this year for the Lakers. While teams needs high-end young talent, they also need role players, and finding a cheap reliable wing shooter can be expensive in free agency.

Next season, the Lakers will clear out the contracts they signed in free agency and look to add a second star in free agency. The more players the team can keep around on cheap contracts, the better their chances of building a true title contender. A player such as Mykhailiuk fits the bill perfectly.