Not only did the Los Angeles Lakers luck out in the NBA Draft Lottery by moving up and becoming owners of the No. 2 pick, it appears as if Jahil Okafor wants to play for the Lakers.
Rumors have emerged in the days since the lotto that the former Duke star isn’t interested in playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, owners of the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and wants to force his way to the Lakers.
Is the noise true? Perhaps, at least according to Chuck Myron who thinks Okafor will try and force his way to the Lakers.
There are rumors that he has his heart set on the Lakers … I wouldn’t be surprised if he and his agent (a college buddy of Flip Saunders, Givony also pointed out) try to dissuade the Wolves from drafting him.
That rarely works, though, and if the Wolves like him, they’ll take him. For what it’s worth, Towns seems more open to going wherever he’s picked.
As noted, we’ve seen players try not to get selected by a team they’re not interested in playing for yet the basketball organization doesn’t care and selects them anyway. Assuming the T’Wolves believe Jahil Okafor to be a franchise player, they’ll likely draft him no matter if he wants to play for the Lakers or not.
Still, it does give LA a bit of leverage in trade talks if the Timberwolves were willing to swing a trade.
Still, it sounds as if Jahil Okafor playing alongside Kobe Bryant is a long shot.
