Buddy Hield had his second workout with the Los Angeles Lakers today, who hold the number two overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and are expected to take either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram with the pick.
The Lakers are coming off the worst season in franchise history, finishing with a 17-65 record, but Los Angeles is also in need of a new franchise player after losing Kobe Bryant to retirement. Hield believes he can be the perfect Bryant replacement for the Lakers, per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
“This is what the franchise needs,” Hield said. “The Lakers are losing Kobe and they need a scorer. So why not call on me to fill in their spot?”
Most mock drafts have Hield going in the top five to either the Boston Celtics or the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Celtics own the number three overall pick from the Brooklyn Nets, and could look to move the pick. Minnesota owns the 5th overall pick, and could also look to deal the pick.
In the 2015 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected guard D’Angelo Russell second overall, and Russell put together a promising rookie season by averaging 13.2 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game in 80 regular season games for the Lakers in 2015-2016. The Lakers could look to pair Hield with Russell in their backcourt if the team decides not to retain restricted free agent Jordan Clarkson.
Hield averaged 25 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2 assists per game during his senior season at Oklahoma.
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