The 2025 NBA Draft is just around the corner as teams look to bring in young talent with hopes of strengthening their rosters. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers do not have a first-round pick this year so they will not be picking until No. 55 overall in the second round.
However, that is not to say the draft can’t be useful for the Lakers as they have had success in the second round before. Players like Max Christie and Ivica Zubac were recent selections by L.A. that ultimately proved to be rotational players, or in the case of Zubac, one of the top centers in the NBA.
With the draft on the horizon, the Lakers are starting to get a look at some players by bringing them in for workouts, including Kentucky Wildcats guard Lamont Butler, via Bill O’Rear:
Former Kentucky & San Diego State PG Lamont Butler is busy chasing his NBA dream. Lamont worked out Tuesday in the Pro Day session at the Lakers facility & did well. Overall, Lamont has 12 workouts with NBA teams with the NBA draft coming up on June 25-26. A busy time for Lamont.
— Bill O’Rear (@billohoops) May 21, 2025
Among the current NBA teams showing interest in Lamont Butler & that he will work out for include the Hawks, Raptors, Lakers & Clippers. Lamont needs just one NBA team to believe in his pro potential & give him a chance to develop & follow his dream. Good luck, Lamont.
— Bill O’Rear (@billohoops) May 21, 2025
This past season for the Wildcats, Butler averaged 11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 49.8% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range. Previously, he spent four collegiate seasons with San Diego State as he continued to develop as a guard.
To put up career-high scoring numbers in an ultra-competitive conference in the SEC is impressive and L.A. tends to favor veteran college players late in the draft. If Butler lands with the Lakers, which is right around where he is projected late in the second round, then that would give them another prospect they hope to develop into becoming a rotation player.
Butler is a 3-and-D guard as a three-time Mountain West Conference All-Defense selection, 2023-24 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year and certainly possess intriguing traits as a second-round flyer should L.A. go that direction.
Lakers also worked out UConn center Samson Johnson
It is no secret that the Lakers need a center to suit Luka Doncic’s play style. The draft presents an opportunity to add an inexpensive player to potentially mold into a rotational piece and L.A. also reportedly worked out UConn center Samson Johnson.
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