It's looking increasingly likely the Los Angeles Lakers will land Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns in the 2015 NBA draft. A third report in as many days claims the Minnesota Timberwolves, owners of the first overall pick in this year's draft, wants to go with Duke center Jahlil Okafor.
The Lakers lucked out by drawing the No. 2 pick of the draft, and it looks like their luck may continue into the draft itself. Towns, the Lakers' purported top target in the draft, may still be on the board when the team picks, according to three different reports now that claim Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders really likes Okafor.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders was the latest to report Saunders's infatuation with Okafor.
"Not sure how much you have listened to Flip, but he wouldn't be bucking the trend on Okafor - he's talked Jahlil up like he's the next coming of Tim Duncan," Kyler wrote Tuesday. "I think Okafor is exactly the player Flip wants to draft, but there are a lot of people in the organization that feel Towns is the better fit for the roster."
The first two reports came from Sports Illustrated and ESPN. Chris Johnson and Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated pointed to Saunders's love of traditional post play, something which the offensively-polished Okafor would provide to whichever NBA team drafts him. ESPN's Chad Ford, who confirmed Towns as being the Lakers' top choice in the draft, also reported about hearing league chatter about Saunders's preference for the 6-foot-10 Duke freshman.
Ford also reported Wednesday about the possibility of Minnesota trading picks with Los Angeles to get an extra asset out of the deal.
Assuming Saunders espousing his love for Okafor isn't just a smokescreen - it'd be somewhat pointless given Minnesota owns the No. 1 pick - that three separate outlets fell for, the tealeaves suggest Los Angeles will get their man. The Lakers like Towns for his upside and his defensive prowess, which would complement forward Julius Randle and give the Lakers a young, talented frontline to build around once Kobe Bryant retires.
If Minnesota does go with Towns, Los Angeles reportedly is undecided between Okafor, D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay. Most reports suggest the Lakers would go with one of the point guards - Russell or Mudiay - if Towns is off the board first.
