The Los Angeles Lakers have a very solid and strong roster right now, but they still have a couple of needs they should fill to become a top-flight championship contender again.
One of those needs is at least one true 3-and-D wing, preferably one that possesses legitimate length. As of now, they have Jarred Vanderbilt, who is an above-average defender but is offensively limited, and Rui Hachimura, a potent scorer who has had stretches but isn’t a stopper on the defensive end of the floor.
One intriguing draft prospect the Lakers recently worked out is Alex Fudge, a forward who played for Louisiana State University and the University of Florida. In fact, they brought him back for a second pre-draft workout.
Fudge is raw, but full of potential
At 6-foot-8, Fudge is skinny (he weighs just 185 pounds), but he is a very solid athletic prospect. He reportedly has a seven-foot wingspan, and although his vertical leap isn’t among the very best in his draft class, he is an explosive finisher.
At this point, he isn’t a true offensive threat: He lacks the ability to create his own shot. He averaged just 5.8 points a game on 39.7% field-goal shooting this past season for the Gators. However, he can get spectacular buckets in transition and on lob passes.
Defensively, he has the potential to be a stopper thanks to his physical tools, but he isn’t quite there yet.
At age 20, Fudge seems to represent pure potential. He is younger than many other prospects the Lakers have worked out, but if he becomes a good 3-point shooter (he made just 22.9% of such attempts this past season), he could have a future.
The forward could end up being a second-round pick if all goes well for him.
