Report: Lakers interested in Jalen Suggs ahead of 2023 NBA Draft

With Chris Paul now headed to the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers will have to go back to the drawing board and find another way to upgrade their backcourt, if they indeed want to do so.

They could reportedly be interested in Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs if he were to become available.

Suggs was the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and while he isn’t a major difference-maker, he is a solid defender who has decent guard size at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds. He has also shown some ability to score, as he has averaged 10.8 points in 25.3 minutes per game during his two pro seasons.

However, he has been a poor 3-point shooter thus far. He shot 21.4 percent from downtown as a rookie, and although he improved to 32.7 percent this season, he still has a long way to go before he could be called a legitimate 3-point shooting threat.

While Los Angeles could certainly use more dependable defenders at the guard and wing spots, it also needs better 3-point shooting. D’Angelo Russell shot well from beyond the arc during the regular season, but he became inconsistent during the playoffs, and during the Western Conference Finals versus the Denver Nuggets, he became downright frigid.

The Lakers have been linked to a number of notable players leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, which will take place on Thursday. Two of those players are center Myles Turner and sharpshooting guard Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers, a duo the Lakers have been rumored to be interested in for many months.

They already made a minor trade on Thursday, giving up the No. 47 pick and cash to acquire the No. 40 pick from the Pacers.

With Russell and possibly even Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura able to leave in free agency, more moves could be on the way for the Purple and Gold.