Prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a big trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Los Angeles sent point guard D’Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov to Brooklyn. It was a cost-cutting move, as the Lakers wanted to get Mozgov’s contract off the books.
In return, Los Angeles received center Brook Lopez and the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Fast forward almost nine months, and who would have thought that No. 27 pick would be producing more than Lopez?
With the 27th selection, the Lakers picked forward Kyle Kuzma.