It's probably safe to count Kobe Bryant out as far as the idea of the Los Angeles Lakers drafting UNLV shooting guard Rashad Vaughn goes.
While Vaughn's a solid prospect and by all accounts the type of hard worker Bryant would find to be a kindred spirit, the 36-year-old may not be game for a permanent house guest. And that's what Vaughn would like to be, even though he's yet to meet the player he looks up to.
"He was definitely my favorite player growing up," Vaughn said Wednesday at a workout for the Lakers. "I'd probably sleep at his house every night. I'm serious. That would be great to come here and learn under him ... I'm moving in."
Bryan's demeanor has softened in his later years, as he's allowed the world to get to know him better. It's unclear if that increased transparency has made him more amenable to a mentor role, though it's easy to imagine Bryant's immense intellect and formidable work ethic paying huge dividends for a protege down the line.
That attention may be more likely to fall on the No. 2 pick, but the Lakers also own the No. 27 and 34 picks in the draft. L.A. is casting a wide net in their search for players at each spot, making it tough to get a feel for what their plans may be.
At each slot, talent should be the foremost asset they're looking for. The Lakers are short enough on pieces that an infusion of upside seems the right approach over drafting for fit, and Vaughn may present that kind of upside around the first-round bubble. Vaughn averaged 17.8 points as a freshman and knocked down 38.3 percent of his threes, making him a potential complement to Bryant as a spot-up shooter to start out.
DraftExpress ranks Vaughn as the No. 43 prospect in the draft but has him going 26th in their latest mock draft, while ESPN ranks him No. 23 and has him going 20th to the Toronto Raptors. No word if he'd also like to sleep at DeMar DeRozan's house to pick his brain in that scenario.
