NBA Draft News: Lakers finalize workout date with Markelle Fultz after all

The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to close out their 2017 NBA Draft workouts with a bang, loading up on second meetings with lottery talents and looking strong in their pre-draft process.

Perhaps the feather in their cap, though, will be netting a workout with consensus No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz this Thursday, as reports Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet.

The Boston Celtics are expected to select Fultz with the top pick, but it looks like he’ll play it safe just in case Boston does something outside of what everyone anticipates on June 22.

The Lakers would likely happily draft Markelle if he dropped to No. 2, but it’d be a much easier decision to make if they had a chance to meet with him at least once.

And, from the sounds of things, it won’t just be a meet and greet but a full workout. That’s a great get for the Lakers just in case he drops to two, but perhaps even more so to compare where he’s at to players like Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox and Josh Jackson.

Fultz, essentially a Karl-Anthony Towns level lock to go No. 1, could provide a great measuring stick for the front office as they finalize their decision. That’s even more important when they’re looking at two other point guards in that mix.

The Lakers are reportedly still trying to finalize a second workout with Ball, and with a chance to get a closer look at the rest of the trio in the top-four with Fultz agreeing to meet, should have a better feeling about where he’s at compared to his contemporaries.

It also gives the Lakers a chance to see if Lonzo’s been working on his weaknesses, something Jackson said they did when he went through his second workout with LA Tuesday afternoon:

The bases are definitely being covered with a big decision ahead on draft night, which is just about the only certainty right now.