Author
After the Los Angeles Lakers dealt away their only draft pick as part of the trade to acquire Russell Westbrook, it became doubtful that the team would be involved in the 2021 NBA Draft. There was an outside chance that the Lakers could trade back in the draft, perhaps in the second round, but ultimately the team decided against it.
But once the draft ended, the Lakers immediately went to work in bringing on some young players who the team could develop. The Lakers have done well with their two-way contracts previously, most notably Alex Caruso becoming a legit rotation player. In addition, both Devontae Cacok and Kostas Antetokounmpo were beloved by their Lakers teammates.