Might Dante Exum try to force his way onto the Lakers; and is it a moot point?



Exum has acknowledged that he is a fan of Kobe Bryant, and signed with agent Rob Pelinka, who also represents Bryant. And Exum has said he’d love to play in Los Angeles. 
But would Exum go so far as to try to angle his way onto the Lakers...? That’s the concern among some front-office executives around the league. 
“When you hear some of what he says, it does make you wonder how the process is going to go as far as workouts and that sort of thing,” one general manager told Sporting News. “We have seen this story before, of course. I am not sure a player can have that kind of control, though.”

Back in 1996 when Kobe Bryant was drafted there were rumors that he threatened to play in Europe if anyone besides the Lakers picked him.  Eli Manning pulled a similar maneuver in the NFL in 2004, forcing his way onto the New York Giants.  Could Exum do the same thing this year?  Maybe, but the real question is, does it even matter?

The Lakers currently have the 4th worst record in the NBA.  Most draft projections have Exum as the #5 overall pick.  Who's to say LA will even want to take him, maybe they'll have the option to snag somebody better?  If something happens to the draft stock of Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, or Julius Randle; or if the Lakers end up picking below #5, then it may be worth revisiting this topic.  But for the time being, it's a non-issue.



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