The Los Angeles Lakers had the No. 17 and No. 47 picks heading into the 2023 NBA draft, but they made a move hours before the draft commenced, sending the No. 47 pick and cash to the Indiana Pacers for pick No. 40.
The No. 17 pick was used to select Jalen Hood-Schifino, a guard out of Indiana University who has tremendous length, defensive versatility and potential as a facilitator and secondary scoring option.
The Lakers have had a history of hitting home runs with second-round draft picks, and this year could be a continuation of that trend. At No. 40, they went with Maxwell Lewis, a wing from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
The Lakers take Maxwell Lewis at No. 40 — had him graded highly, and Lewis had an impressive group workout early in the process.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) June 23, 2023
The Lakers may have gotten an absolute steal in Lewis
Lewis, who is a native of Las Vegas, is 6 feet, 7 inches, giving him legitimate height to play the small forward position in the NBA. Even better, his wingspan was reportedly measured at 7 feet during the combine. Although he isn’t an elite athlete, he’s a very solid one.
He has the tools to be a very good defender, and he has the ability to guard players at multiple positions effectively. On the other end, he has the potential to become a very good 3-point shooter, and he can attack closeouts by putting the ball on the floor and attacking the paint.
Many expected Lewis to go at some point in the first round of the draft, so the Lakers may have gotten very lucky with him depending on how he pans out at the next level.
A more detailed look at Lewis, as well as some video highlights of him at Pepperdine, can be seen here.
