Lakers Rumors: Latest Reports Following 2016 NBA Draft Lottery

The Los Angeles Lakers were the biggest winners of the 2016 NBA draft lottery. 

Some would argue the title goes to former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, but the Lakers grabbed the No. 2 pick and in the process have given the keys of the rebuild to Mitch Kupchak.

Kupchak can now take the rebuilding route of his choosing, picking from among the best players in the 2016 class or dealing the pick before heading to free agency this summer, a period headlined by Kevin Durant.

“We’re in a much better situation than we were a year ago,” Kupchak said, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “To have the season like we had and not have something to show for it is not the way we wanted it to go.”  

As always, the results of the lottery have spurred new conversation and rumblings around the Lakers. To help keep up with the tide, here’s a look at the latest as the Lakers get ready to tackle an interesting, critical scenario.

The Brandon Ingram-Ben Simmons Debate Begins

Share Tweet Embed

For the Lakers, the debate is now official.

The Kobe Bryant retirement tour was fun, but dreams of Brandon Ingram-Ben Simmons had to persist in the back of minds as folks watched the Lakers flounder to the worst finish in franchise history.

Consider the bad times over. Now, it’s about a debate between the two best players in the class, Ingram and Simmons. The former is a 6’10”, 196-pound forward who can shoot from deep, and the latter is a 6’10”, 239-pound forward with perhaps more upside than any player in each of the past five drafts or more.

As ESPN’s Chad Ford revealed, upside has the Lakers thinking Simmons:

If …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com