With the NBA Draft just two weeks away, the Lakers brought in six players on Thursday to work out for team officials.
The group comprised big men Kenny Kadji and Dewayne Dedmon and guards Peyton Siva, B.J. Young, C.J. Harris and Brandon Triche. All are projected as to go as late second-round picks or undrafted.
The Lakers hold the 48th pick in the June 27 draft.
Siva is perhaps the biggest name of any of the players in the group; his
Louisville team won a championship this spring, and he was one of the
leaders of the group. He loses points for his diminutive size, but he
performed well at the combine and has a good overall reputation among
college basketball circles.
Kadji is a 25-year-old 6-foot-10 big man out of the University of Miami who could play power forward or center. His age will work against him in the draft, and he’s a long shot to be selected.
Dedmon came out of USC this spring, opting to forego his senior season. The decision came as something of a surprise after he averaged just 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds for a mediocre team, and for now, he’s on the periphery of the draft. He could as easily be picked late in the second round as he could sign as a free agent.
Young, a senior out of Arkansas, is widely viewed as a late second-round pick. He averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists for a mediocre SEC team last season.
Harris was a four-year letterman at Wake Forest and was a major contributor each year, peaking his junior season when he averaged 16.7 points per game.
Triche played for four years as Syracuse and had a solid senior season, averaging 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He’ll likely play point guard if he makes the NBA, but he spent much of his time at Syracuse as a shooting guard, making for something of an adjustment back to his natural position.
