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The 2014 NBA Draft is hours away but there's still time to prepare for what should be a big night for the Los Angeles Lakers. Mock draft season has just a few hours left, but major media outlets have updated their projections for one final time. The common theme? Julius Randle will be the Lakers' selection with the seventh-overall pick.
The Draft
ESPN's Chad Ford continues sending Randle to the Lakers, sticking with his guns that he'll both be available and did enough to impress Los Angeles' front office in his private workout. Randle also received the majority of nods from our roundtable discussion here at Silver Screen and Roll. NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper is also on board the Randle train, believing teams will pass on him because of positional fit needs, and has him joining the Lakers to immediately become part of the "solution" going forward.
DraftExpress also has the forward out of Kentucky putting on a Lakers draft-day cap Thursday night.
If you're ready for the Lakers to roll the dice in the biggest way possible, CBS Sports' Matt Moore has one of the only mock drafts with center Joel Embiid dropping to the Lakers. His foot injury could shake up the first round, but the Lakers are reportedly not closed to the idea of drafting the former top-three pick. Sticking with CBS Sports, Gary Parrish has Marcus Smart going to the Lakers, as does Zach Harper.
Last, ESPN's Jeff Goodman projects Aaron Gordon to Los Angeles. His mock draft strayed away from the norm, projecting Randle to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 and Noah Vonleh dropping all the way to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 9. One pick after the Sacramento Kings select Doug McDermott at No. 8.
Even with a heavy favorite like Randle through the mock drafts, anything can happen on draft night. One surprise pick, or trade, could change the entire direction the first seven selections of the draft take. Coverage of the draft begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN as we wait to hear which player, or players, will be the next to wear purple and gold.