Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson’s best moves of the 2018 offseason

3. Drafting Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk

The Lakers made an abundance of moves this offseason. Between their three draft picks and numerous free agent additions, it’s been the offseason of change for a franchise on the rise. However, one of the more underrated decisions by Magic and co. was the selection of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.

Drafted in the second round at No. 47 overall, Mykhailiuk flew under the radar for much of the pre-draft process. Known as a shooting specialist with little else to his game, it wasn’t completely surprising that he stayed on the board until the middle of the second round. And yet, the Lakers were “terrified” that he wouldn’t be available at No. 47, according to Mike Trudell.

Well, he was and has immediately paid dividends for the Lakers.

During NBA Summer League, Mykhailiuk was one of the surprise stars of the tournament. Sporting a deadly 3-point shot and sneaky defensive presence, the Kansas product routinely went off with big performances. Working in tandem with Josh Hart, Mykhailiuk fueled the Lakers’ run to the Summer League championship.

We obviously haven’t seen what type of impact he can have during the regular season, or even what his role will be when mid-October rolls around. However, based on the early results, Mykhailiuk could at least carve out a niche for himself as a knockdown 3-point shooter for the Lakers.

It’s not often second round picks pan out in the NBA. The jury is still out on Mykhailiuk, but the potential he’s flashed so far has already blown fans away. The future appears bright.