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Due to a variety of big-name trades over the past few years, the Los Angeles Lakers entered Thursday without a single pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. General manager Rob Pelinka evidently wasn’t interested in sitting out an entire draft after his team missed the playoffs with championship expectations heading into the season, so he decided to get in on the party.

On Thursday afternoon, the Lakers traded a future second-round pick and cash considerations to the Magic in exchange for the 35th overall pick in tonight’s draft. So, who are some players LA could target with its newly acquired draft pick?

The Lakers won’t be sitting out the 2022 NBA Draft after all

It was clear the Lakers were due for a major overhaul after they missed the playoffs last season with four (maybe five?) future Hall of Famers on their roster. Unfortunately for LeBron James and company, they didn’t have a single pick in the 2022 NBA Draft to help them accomplish that.

The Lakers can’t afford to be bystanders this offseason, though, so they jumped back into the draft just in the nick of time.

On Thursday afternoon, just a few hours before the start of the draft, Adrian Wojnarowski reported in a tweet that the Lakers acquired the 35th overall pick from the Magic in exchange for a future second and cash considerations. LA will now be able to select a prospect early in the second round Thursday night.

Hey, better than nothing, right?

What should the Lakers do with the 35th overall pick?

Caleb Houstan dribbles for Michigan.
Caleb Houstan of the Michigan Wolverines dribbles up the court during a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes | Jaime Crawford/Getty Images

All of the elite prospects will be gone by the time the Lakers get on the clock Thursday night, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find a diamond in the rough. After all, two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic was a second-round pick just a few years ago.

As for LA’s options at 35, they should have plenty. Caleb Houstan, who averaged 10.1 points per game and shot 35.5% from three at Michigan last year, is a capable scorer with impressive size for a spot-up shooter (6-foot-8, 210 pounds). If the Lakers want to add more shooting, Keon Ellis out of Alabama, Max Christie out of Michigan State, and Christian Braun out of Kansas could all be available at the beginning of the second round.

If they want to go a different route, Arizona center Christian Koloko could have one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft. Whatever the Lakers decided to do with their new draft pick, it better be someone who can come off the bench and make an immediate impact.

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Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.