By Jack Fritz, Sports Talk Philly editor
Are you all alive from the smoke that has been spewing out of Los Angeles recently?
Here's another layer to add to the smoke; according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, it is likely that the Lakers have promised Kansas' Josh Jackson that they will draft him in 10 days:
Josh Jackson has been promised – has worked out for Lakers in LA. Has not worked out for Phoenix yet. It could be Philly but likely Lakers.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) June 12, 2017
Gambadoro may just be a Phoenix area radio host, but he did break the Steve Nash-to-the-Lakers trade a few years back, so he does have a bit of a track record.
Of course, Gambadoro did suggest that the promise could have came from Philly, but that wouldn't make much sense since the Sixers haven't even worked out Jackson yet and he isn't a natural fit for the team. So if you believe this report, it's likely that the Lakers are the team that has promised Jackson they will select him.
Again, the smoke is thick with this one, but Gambadoro could have also had this info fed to him from the Suns side of the table. They haven't had a workout with Jackson, even though he could be in play for them at No. 4. The Suns might be feeding Gambadoro this information out of frustration, or realization that they likely won't get their hands on the freshman out of Kansas.
Related: Sixers fans heavily favor the team selecting Josh Jackson with No. 3 pick
The more I look at this, Jackson probably fits the Lakers better than Lonzo Ball. If you bring in Ball, you're essentially moving on from D'Angelo Russell. In moving on from Russell, you would either be trading him for lesser value because you don't have much leveraging power or be moving him off ball to a position that takes the ball out of his hands, thus reducing his effectiveness.
Jackson, on the other hand, will come in and allow you to play with pace and also go smaller. Jackson's best position in the NBA might be a four, which may sound crazy but those that cover the draft think if he adds some weight, playing at the four might be his best fit. After all, he played the four at Kansas and he would be able to draw out bigger fours away from the paint. Brandon Ingram is a more natural three given his semi-ability to stretch the defense, so him playing at the four would make sense for the Lakers.
As time goes on, Jackson seems like the more natural pick at two, while Ball would make more sense for the Sixers at No. 3.
With only 10 days until the draft, it's worth monitoring whether Jackson works out for any more teams. If he chooses not to, that would be a pretty good indication that he's sure the Lakers are going to select him with the No. 2 overall pick.
