Los Angeles Lakers: Prospects team should have drafted instead of Horton-Tucker

SF Ignas Brazdeikis, No. 47 Overall

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis now running the show, the Los Angeles Lakers needed a bunch of complementary role players to help fill out this 2019-20 roster. For the most part, they accomplished that task during 2019 free agency.

Where does Horton-Tucker fit into that equation, though? At this moment, it doesn’t seem like he does. There aren’t going to be a ton of opportunities with so much guard talent available, and his shot at minutes is further hindered by a lingering foot fracture.

Neither of those issues would apply had they used the No. 46 overall pick on Ignas Brazdeikis.

For starters, Brazdeikis plays the 3 — a position the Lakers don’t have a boatload of depth at. Sure, LeBron will soak up most of the minutes there, but he’s not going to play all 48 every night.

And Jared Dudley isn’t going to spark much excitement off the bench — he’s more there for moral support and locker room leadership.

Brazdeikis, however, would have been a welcomed addition on the Los Angeles wing as an injection of youth and scoring upside.

During his Summer League stint with the New York Knicks, he averaged 15.4 points per game while also displaying an all-around skill set, shining on the defensive end and showcasing more athleticism than folks gave him credit for.

The Lakers nabbed Horton-Tucker at No. 46, and the Knicks traded up for Brazdeikis a pick later. Realistically, New York got the better deal. If what we saw during the Summer League was any indication, the Michigan alum has all of the tools necessary to make an instant impact in the NBA.

Whether or not we can say the same about Horton-Tucker is iffy at best.