17. Los Angeles Lakers – Dereck Lively II, C, Duke
I’d be surprised if the Los Angeles Lakers made this pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and didn’t target a frontcourt player. One prospect that they could look to take a flier on is Dereck Lively II out of Duke. He’s an emerging 7-footer that could continue to rise as he proves his worth as a rim-protecting big.
With Anthony Davis’ frailty, it is going to be a priority for the Lakers to solidify the center position this offseason. Lively could just be part of the team accomplishing that but could end up paying dividends in the long run.
18. Miami Heat – Brice Sensabaugh, G, Ohio State
The Miami Heat lacks scorers. Players that can just get the basketball and get a bucket when needed. That has been one of the team’s biggest issues this season. Even though they managed to upset the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, this is still a flawed roster in need of a scoring punch.
Brice Sensabaugh could potentially grow into a player that could fill that void for the team. Sensabaugh was one of the better overall scorers in college basketball last season and you can trust the Heat organization will get the most out of him in their developmental system.