The 2025 NBA Draft is nearly here, and some great young talent is about to join the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers don’t control their first-round pick this year, so they’re going to have to wait until pick No. 55 in the second round.
Unlike the leagues like the NFL, it’s very rare to find impact players in the second round, especially late in the second round. However, it’s not impossible. Austin Reaves is one of the Lakers’ best players, and he was an undrafted free agent signing.
With that in mind, Los Angeles should take their second-round pick seriously. Many expect the team to target a big man due to their need at center, but they could also use more shooting, especially if they end up trading Dalton Knecht or Reaves this offseason.
In Sports Illustrated’s latest mock draft, they project the Lakers to select Alabama guard Mark Sears. He was highly productive in college, having averaged 21.5 points per game in 2023-24 and then 18.6 points per game last season. He’s also a solid shooter who his 37.5% of his 3-point shots over his college career.
He’s an older rookie at 23 years old, but he could be a player who can quickly find a role for himself on the team.
Scouting Report on Sears
Sears was a consensus first-team All-American for his work last season. He had previously declared for the 2023 NBA Draft but decided to return to Alabama.
He doesn’t have a ton of upside, but he could make sense for a team that, in the playoffs last season, like the Lakers. In Bleacher Report’s scouting report on Sears, they expressed concern about his size, but believe his toughness could help him carve out a role in the NBA.
“Overall, Sears projects as a plug-and-play combo guard who can generate offense on his own or fit alongside stars,” Bleacher Report wrote. “While he may face questions defensively in the NBA, his toughness and competitiveness will help offset some of those concerns.
“As a 23-year-old, fifth-year senior, Sears won’t surprise anyone with a high floor—that’s to be expected. But his place in the league could also be that of a trusted secondary playmaker. And if he earns that trust early, his ceiling could rise, and he could own that role for a decade to come.”
Sears Compared to Trey Burke
Sears is simply too small to have too much upside as an NBA player, but there are some smaller players having success. Bleacher Report believes that Sears compares favorably to Orlando Magic guard Trey Burke.
“At 6’0″, 185 pounds, Trey Burke is a natural pro comparison for Sears. But size isn’t all that matters here,” Bleacher Report wrote. “It’s their scoring instincts, isolation prowess and pick-and-roll authority that all give off similar vibes despite being undersized guards.
“Like Burke, Sears has deep shooting range and a knack for hitting tough, contested looks. They also share a fearless mentality and a tendency to rise in big moments, despite defensive limitations.”
Sears’ best chance at becoming a long-time NBA player is to be a great shooter, so he needs to continue to work on that part of his game.
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