Lakers Draft 2015: Lakers will not draft based on fit with Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers will have plenty of options with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, and are said to be considering a multitude of players, ranging from pondering Kristaps Porzingis to being "locked-in" on selecting Jahlil Okafor. One thing the team will not be considering is the rookies' ability or inability to play alongside Kobe Bryant, Mitch Kupchak told Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News:

"We're not going to pick a player because he can play with Kobe, likes Kobe or dislikes Kobe," Kupchak told Los Angeles News Group. "We're going to pick the player that can have the longest and best career."

That is the right line of thinking from the front office, because while Bryant has done a lot for the franchise in his 19-year playing career, his upcoming 20th season will likely be his last, and the team needs to worry about the next 20 years when selecting with it's highest lottery pick since the franchise's 1982 selection of James Worthy first overall. It also falls in line with Kupchak's February statement that the Lakers won't jeopardize the future by bringing in veterans to make one final run with Bryant.

Kupchak still sounds like he believes playing with Bryant will help whichever rookie the team selects. "Kobe is going to impart a work ethic in training camp that will be beneficial to any player we bring," the Lakers general manager told Medina. If Bryant is able to impart his work ethic that Robert Horry called "literally unbelievable" to whichever rookie the team selects, the Lakers' future will be in good hands.