logo
Lakers Pushing to Move Up Again in NBA Draft Round 2: Report

Lakers Pushing to Move Up Again in NBA Draft Round 2: Report

Newsweek5 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Los Angeles Lakers moved up from No. 55 to No. 45 ahead of Thursday's second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Still, there's a real possibility they're not done. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, L.A. could look to trade up even higher as the night unfolds.
REPORT: There is a lot of buzz that the Lakers are trying to move up even higher in the draft than pick 45, via @JakeLFischer on a livestream
(ht/@playoffjake)
Who do you think Rob trying to get? — Playoff LAL (@PlayoffLAL) June 26, 2025
: Los Angeles Lakers center court logo during a preseason game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers at Staples Center on December 13, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
: Los Angeles Lakers center court logo during a preseason game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers at Staples Center on December 13, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo byThis story will be updated....

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Boston Celtics draft prospects: Tahaad Pettiford highlights
Boston Celtics draft prospects: Tahaad Pettiford highlights

USA Today

time11 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Boston Celtics draft prospects: Tahaad Pettiford highlights

With the NBA Draft just a day away, Brad Stevens will likely have his big board finalized and ready to go. The Boston Celtics scouting staff have undoubtedly worked tirelessly to ensure the team has all the data necessary, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding who could potentially add depth and compeititon to the current roster. If the Celtics are looking for some guard help, there's a chance they could take a closer look at Tahaad Pettiford out of Auburn. The 6-foot-1 guard lacks the size to be a defensive presence, but has shown flashes of scoring skill and some potential with his passing. Pettiford, a one-and-done prospect, played in 38 games this past season, averaging 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3 assists. If you haven't seen much of Pettiford and want a better idea of what he could bring to the Celtics rotation, NBC Sports Boston recently uploaded a highlights reel to their YouTube channel. You can watch the Auburn guard's best moments as you try to get a feel for the type of player he is, and why he could interest the Celtics. If you would like to watch the full highlights, you can do so by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website:

Celtics take VCU guard Max Shulga with No. 57 pick of 2025 NBA draft
Celtics take VCU guard Max Shulga with No. 57 pick of 2025 NBA draft

USA Today

time11 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Celtics take VCU guard Max Shulga with No. 57 pick of 2025 NBA draft

With their final pick of the 2025 NBA draft's second round, the Boston Celtics elected to take Virginia Commonwealth University guard Max Shulga with the No. 57 overall pick, who ESPN NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony relates will play as a two way player for the Celtics in the coming 2025-26 NBA season. The 23-year-old (happy belated birthday!) combo guard has the size and maturity to potentially earn some floor time with the parent club in Boston next season, a former senior at VCU standing at 6-foot-5.5. Weighing in at 206 lbs., Shulga put up 15.0 points, an impressive 5.9 rebounds per game as a guard, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. The Kyiv, Ukraine native is also a good shot from beyond the arc, hitting 38.7% of his shots from deep on 5.7 attempts per game. He hit 43.5% of his shots from the floor overall, and 78.3% of his 5.4 attempts from the free throw line as well. Testing a bit low on lane agility in the 2025 NBA Combine, Shulga had concerns about his defense coming into the draft. But playing as a two way player for the Celtics should go a long way with seeing how well he can shore up that aspect of his game against a higher level of competition that he has yet seen at the NCAA level.

2025 NBA Draft: Landing Spots For All 59 Picks
2025 NBA Draft: Landing Spots For All 59 Picks

Fox Sports

time11 minutes ago

  • Fox Sports

2025 NBA Draft: Landing Spots For All 59 Picks

Thirty players heard their names called and had their lifelong dreams realized during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in New York. Now, on Thursday, 29 more players will earn the opportunity to get onto an NBA roster during the second round of the NBA Draft, which is set to start at 8 p.m. Here are all 30 picks in the first-round of the 2025 NBA Draft: FIRST ROUND 1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, Forward, Duke Flagg will slot in seamlessly with the Mavericks' lineup and roster-building philosophy. When Dallas traded Luka Doncic, president of basketball operations and general manager, Nico Harrison, cited defense as the foundation for their future. Flagg brings that and much more. He's versatile, intelligent on the help-side and in pick-and-roll coverage, and can guard players at all positions. Offensively, he's one of, if not the best, passers in the 2025 NBA Draft class and has displayed an ability to create his own jump shot, and scoring opportunities for his teammates. 2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, Guard, Rutgers The Spurs have had the Rookie of the Year the last two seasons and have just drafted someone who could make that three in a row. Harper is the perfect player for the Spurs to add to their young core. He will complement Victor Wembanyama as a perimeter scorer and maximize his offensive ceiling as a playmaker. He will play alongside a backcourt mate that has a very similar game to him, in De'Aaron Fox, a fellow left-handed dynamic guard. That pairing will be interesting as Fox and Harper operate in similar parts of the court, but Fox should offer a good example for the young Harper. 3. Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, Guard, Baylor Edgecombe's ceiling is as high as any prospect in this draft as he has a comparable build and competitive drive to that of dynamic NBA guards of past and present such as Anthony Edwards and Dwayne Wade. As for his fit with Philadelphia, Edgecombe will provide an immediate force on the defensive side and alleviate pressure off Tyrese Maxey on that side of the court. Offensively, he can play off Maxey and Joel Embiid, attacking close outs, and creating offense with his instincts and quick decision-making. It will be interesting to see the direction the 76ers take now that they have Edgecombe. Do they lean into their young backcourt, or use those pieces to surround their veterans and push for immediate success? 4. Charlotte Hornets: Kon Kneuppel, Guard, Duke Knueppel might have the highest IQ of any player in the 2025 NBA Draft class. He is also one of the top perimeter shooters. From that standpoint, he should fit in well because he doesn't need the ball to be effective and LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller will command more touches than Knueppel. Ball can set him up for 3-point shots, and he can be the team's secondary scorer behind Miller. That being said, there are more talented players than Kneuppel that will be selected after him, and the Hornets could be left regretting this pick. 5. Utah Jazz: Airious "Ace" Bailey, Forward, Rutgers Bailey is the greatest enigma in the 2025 NBA Draft class. He is the only American prospect to not have a single workout with an NBA team prior to Wednesday's draft. The Jazz are betting that isn't a red flag. If they're right, Bailey could be the cornerstone of their future. He's a 6-foot-8 wing with the fluid handle of a guard. Not only is he one of the best shot creators in the draft, but he's shown chops as a help-defender and rim protector. 6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson, Guard, Texas Johnson is arguably the best overall shooter in the NBA Draft. He takes and makes the deepest diet of NBA-level shots such as step-back and pull-up jump shots. From the moment he steps into the league, he will be able to score. That's exactly what the Wizards need, as they have a trio of sturdy defensive prospects in Carlton Carrington, Kyshawn George and the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Alex Sarr. 7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, Guard, Oklahoma Fears has one of the tightest handles of any prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class. Not many defenders can stay in front of him, which is significant because his 3-point shot needs some work. Still, the fit in New Orleans makes sense as they traded their point guard CJ McCollum on Monday and had a hole at that position. Now, they add a high-ceiling prospect that fits the timeline of their young core, including Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy. 8. Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin, Guard, Brigham Young A creative playmaker and passer, Demin could be the engine for an NBA offense. He's a big guard who plays at his own pace and makes everyone around him better. He still needs to improve his individual scoring, but showed that he was working on that throughout the pre-draft process. The Nets desparately need a reset to their core, so getting their ball-handler of the future is a good way to start. 9. Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles, Forward, South Carolina Murray-Boyles is the quintessential Raptors' player — a lengthy and versatile wing with loads of untapped talent. Defense will come easily to Murray-Boyles, but he'll need to improve his outside shot and ability to attack close-outs if he wants to succeed in Toronto because the Raptors have dominant ball-handlers who aren't dynamic perimeter shooters themselves in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. 10. Phoenix Suns: Khaman Maluach, Center, Duke The Suns' front office might have done something right. Maluach is the best rim-protector in the 2025 NBA Draft class and has displayed impressive touch for a 7-footer. He was key to Duke's Final Four run and will now be crucial to the Suns' retooling. He will be a great pick-and-roll partner for Devin Booker. 11. Memphis Grizzlies (via Portland): Cedric Coward, Forward, Washington State Coward has flown up draft boards during the pre-draft process. He played just six games at Washington State last season, but displayed an ability to score at all three levels. That small sample size makes him an ambiguous prospect, but he will provide Memphis with a versatile two-way wing, which is a position of need for them, alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Coward's strength as an off-ball shooter will be maximized playing with Morant who generates as many open shots as any NBA playmaker. 12. Chicago Bulls: Noa Essengue, Center, France There are a lot of unknowns with Essengue, a French prospect who played professionally in Germany. He's athletic and uses that ability to dominate the boards and fly up and down the court. But, it's unclear how his offensive game will translate to the NBA, and it's even more confounding how he'll fit in with the Bulls, who could have used a more talented on-ball asset. Chicago does, however, tend to play fast, so if Essengue can run the floor and finish off the speed of guards Josh Giddey and Coby White, he could be a decent piece for their future. 13. New Orleans Pelicans (from Sacramento): Derik Queen, Forward, Maryland Queen joins Fears as the Pelicans' second lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He's a big-man with the vision, handle, and shot-diet of a guard. The Pelicans selected Yves Missi, a dynamic rim protector, in the 2024 NBA Draft, and Queen's perimeter-based game could fit well next to him. The Pelicans' young core now includes Fears, Queen, Murphy, Missi and Jordan Poole, who they traded for on Monday, so there's a chance this pick could spell the end of the Zion Williamson era. 14. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta): Carter Bryant, Forward, Arizona Bryant, a two-way wing, rounds out the lottery and is the second pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for the Spurs. It's a perfect choice as the Arizona prospect will provide an immediate defensive presence on the wing for a team ripe for a playoff leap. His offensive game has a ways to go, but he won't be asked to do too much on that side of the ball as the Spurs can rely on Wembanyama, Fox, Devin Vassell and the second-overall pick, Harper, for that. 15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami): Thomas Sorber, Center, Georgetown 16. Portland Trail Blazers (from Orlando): Yang Hansen, Center, China 17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit): Joan Beringer, Center, France 18. Utah Jazz (from Memphis): Walter Clayton Jr., Guard, Florida 19. Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee): Nolan Traore, Guard, France 20. Miami Heat (from Golden State): Kasparas Jakucionis, Guard, Illinois 21. Washington Wizards (from Minnesota): Will Riley, Guard, Illinois 22. Brooklyn Nets (from the L.A. Lakers): Drake Powell, Guard, North Carolina 23. Atlanta Hawks (from Indiana): Asa Newell, Forward, Georgia 24. Sacramento Kings (from the L.A. Clippers): Nique Clifford, Guard, Colorado State 25. Orlando Magic (from Denver): Jase Richardson, Guard, Michigan State 26. Brooklyn Nets (from New York): Ben Saraf, Guard, Israel 27. Brooklyn Nets (from Houston): Danny Wolf, Forward, Michigan 28. Boston Celtics: Hugo Gonzalez, Guard, Spain 29. Charlotte Hornets (from Cleveland): Liam McNeeley, Forward, UCONN 30. L.A. Clippers (from Oklahoma City) Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Center, Penn State SECOND ROUND 31. Phoenix Suns (from Minnesota): Rasheer Fleming, Forward, St. Joseph's 32. Boston Celtics: (from Washington): Noah Penda, Forward, France 33. Charlotte Hornets: Sion James, Forward, Duke 34. Charlotte Hornets (from Toronto): Ryan Kalkbrenner, Center, Creighton 35. Philadelphia 76ers: Johni Broome, Forward, Auburn 36. Los Angeles Lakers: (from Brooklyn): Adou Thiero, Forward, Arkansas 37. Detroit Pistons (from Toronto): Chaz Lanier, Guard, Tennessee 38. Indiana Pacers (from San Antonio): Kam Jones, Guard, Marquette 39. Toronto Raptros (from Portland): Alijah Martin, Guard, Florida 40. New Orleans Pelicans (from Washington): Micah Peavy, Guard, Georgetown 41. Phoenix Suns (from Golden State): Koby Brea, Guard, Kentucky 42. Sacramento Kings (from Chicago): Maxime Raynaud, Forward, Stanford 43. Washington Wizards (from Utah): Jamir Watkins, Guard, Florida State 44. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Atlanta): Brooks Barnhizer, Forward, Northwestern 45. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Chicago): Rocco Zibrasky, Center, Australia 46. Boston Celtics (from Orlando): Amari Williams, Forward, Kentucky 47. Milwaukee Bucks (from Detroit): Bogoljub Markovic, Forward, Serbia 48. Memphis Grizzlies (from Golden State): Javon Small, Guard, West Virginia 49. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Milwaukee): Tyrese Proctor, Guard, Duke 50. Los Angeles Clippers (from New York): Kobe Sanders, Guard, Nevada 51. New York Knicks (from LA Clippers): Mohamed Diawara, Forward, France 52. Golden State Warriors (from Phoenix): Alex Toohey, Forward, Australia 53. Utah Jazz (from LA Clippers): John Tonje, Forward, Wisconsin 54. Indiana Pacers: Taelon Peter, Guard, Liberty 55. Chicago Bulls (from LA Lakers): Lachlan Olbrich, Forward, Australia 56. Golden State Warriors (from Memphis Grizzlies): Will Richard, Guard, Florida 57. Boston Celtics (from Orlando): Max Shulga, Guard, Virginia Commonwealth University 58. Cleveland Cavaliers: Saliou Niang, Guard, Senegal 59. Memphis Grizzlies: (from Houston) Jahmai Mashack, Forward, Tennessee Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store