The Los Angeles Lakers are relatively close to being championship contenders again, but after being swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, it’s clear they still need help to get there.
They will likely need some type of help in the backcourt. There is a real chance either D’Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves will leave in free agency. While they need help now, as they’re in win-now mode, they also seem to have an eye on the future, as they grew considerably younger after several pre-deadline trades.
One draft prospect they recently worked out is Isaiah Wong, a guard out of the University of Miami.
Wong has serious potential
After four seasons with the Hurricanes, Wong has established himself as someone who can make good things happen on both ends of the floor. He’s a good one-on-one player who can score from multiple areas of the court, and he has some nice moves off the dribble that allow him to get separation.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard averaged 16.2 points a game while shooting 44.5% from the field this past season. He’s a decent 3-point shooter, who made 38.4% of his attempts from that distance during the 2022-23 season. However, he needs to show more improvement in that department, since his accuracy has fluctuated from year to year.
Defensively, Wong averaged 1.4 steals per contest this past season, and he has the quickness to harass opponents, not to mention a wingspan of nearly 6-foot-7.
He had some big games down the stretch this past season, helping the Hurricanes make the NCAA Final Four. He was named the ACC Player of the Year.
Wong is projected to be a second-round draft pick.
