Tre Jones to the Lakers
- Per the current standings and past trades, Los Angeles would hold pick No. 29 and then none in the second round
Assuming the NBA higher-ups cancel the remainder of the regular season — becomes more likely with each passing day — the Los Angeles Lakers (49-14) would select at No. 29 in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. That just so happens to be round about the average mock-draft position for Tre Jones.
OK, what we know to be true is the current team in Los Angeles and the 20-year-old college prospect are proven winners (see the Lakers’ record above while remembering Jones’ 2019-20 ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, 2019 ACC Tournament Championship, 53-12 overall record as the Duke basketball starting point guard, and countless clutch performances across two years in Durham, notably the inexplicable heroics in Chapel Hill this past season).
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Adding to the potential win-win scenario, the Lakers likely won’t be able to rely much longer on more than 20 minutes per game from a 34-year-old Rajon Rondo, who along with starting combo guard Avery Bradley will hold the option to test free agency this offseason. From Jones’ corner, one can imagine all the benefits that would come from playing alongside Anthony Davis during his prime and with LeBron James for possibly the remainder of the 35-year-old’s legendary career.
Oops, almost forgot another obvious advantage: former Duke basketball national champ Quinn Cook, a consummate professional if there ever was one, is already a member of the Laker backcourt and would surely help Jones come out of his shell while also showing his fellow Blue Devil the ropes.
Yes, if Jones is indeed still on the board for the tail end of the first round, this pick should be a no-brainer. Speaking of an easy call, let’s look at an exiting Duke basketball one-and-done who’d be set for takeoff in “The Big Easy”…