Feb 26, 2022; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers forward Shareef O’Neal (24) looks on during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2022 NBA Draft looming, the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to work out a player with a name the franchise and its fans are quite familiar with.

The Lakers are one of the teams that LSU forward Shareef O’Neal — son of former Lakers center and Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal — is set to work out for.

This drew a mixed response from NBA fans.

Of course, it’s worth noting that the Lakers don’t have any picks in the upcoming draft. Their first-round pick belongs to the New Orleans Pelicans, while their second is held by the San Antonio Spurs.

That said, while Shaq was the No. 1 overall pick in 1993, his son is nowhere near that kind of a prospect. Most mock drafts don’t even have Shareef as a second-round pick. Granted, some of that might be because there had been some doubt as to his draft eligibility, which has since been cleared up. But even at that, he was never a starter in college, nor did he ever score even three points per game.

So, in all likelihood, he’ll be a late-second-round pick at best. If the Lakers really wanted to acquire one of those picks, they probably could. More likely, he’ll be an undrafted free agent. So, chances are good that if the Lakers really want to bring another O’Neal into the fold, they’ll be able to.

[Jovan Buha]

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