Report: Lakers expected to work out Zach Edey prior to NBA draft
With the NBA Draft fast approaching the Lakers are reportedly doing workouts with prospects such as Zach Edey.
With the NBA Draft fast approaching, the Lakers are reportedly beginning to work out some top prospects.
Los Angeles has already reportedly had a pre-draft workout with Bronny James and according to Dan Woike of the LA Times, you can add Zach Edey to the list of players the Lakers will work out.
Purdue center Zach Edey is one of the biggest — literally and figuratively — players in the draft after being the consensus player of the year in college basketball last season. While there are mobility concerns on the defensive end, Edey is scheduled for a workout with the Lakers before the draft and could be a real option for the team.
The Lakers have been searching for quality bigs to either pair with Anthony Davis or allow Davis to get some rest without the team’s production falling off a cliff.
If Edey can give this team some good minutes and provide depth and quality at the center position, that’d be a huge addition to the Lakers.
In college, Edey was an offensive monster, scoring a nation-high 25.2 points, was third in rebounds with 12.2 and shot a highly efficient 62.3 percent from the field.
Mock drafts have the Purdue center all over the place, with some being as high as the lottery and others in the middle of the first round.
If the Lakers like what they see from him in these workouts, they’ll hope he’s still around at No. 17, where they can draft him.
They could also use the No. 17 pick and attempt to trade up if they fear he won’t be available where they are currently at.
If the Lakers were to make such an aggressive move for Edey, it would signal to us that they loved his tape and how he looked in person so much that they see him as a player they can’t pass up on.
Reports of the players the Lakers have been looking at have been few and far between, so even though this information does not come officially from the franchise, it’s good to hear they’re doing their due diligence.
This draft will be huge for the Lakers, as they can either select a ready-now player to try and help this team get back to the top of the Western Conference or trade the pick to package it for a third star.
What happens during the two-day event that is the draft will reveal much about this team and its direction heading into the 2024-25 season.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.