NBA Draft Rumors: Lakers ‘hopeful’ they can meet with Markelle Fultz next week

Markelle Fultz is still the odds-on favorite to be selected first overall in June 22’s NBA draft, but there seems to be a lot more movement from teams trying to meet with him before the Boston Celtics (who own the pick) get to make their choice.

Late Thursday night, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee reported that the Sacramento Kings were trying to get a meeting with Fultz despite currently residing at the number five spot in the draft.

The Lakers’s pick is three spots ahead of the Kings’, though, so it would make sense that they’d hope to get to meet Fultz if the Kings somehow get to. Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Bresnahan reports that they hope some kind of meeting (whether a workout or sit-down) will take place next week.

Most mock drafts have the Lakers taking Lonzo Ball second to complete what would hopefully be their backcourt of the future with D’Angelo Russell, but if Fultz was to somehow fall, suffice it to say they’d pretty happily take him in that spot.

This draft, between trade rumors, free agency speculation and the actual players involved is shaping up to be quite the night.