Cason Wallace’s NBA draft stock has dropped a bit over the past few weeks.

On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released an updated 2023 NBA mock draft. The new mock has Wallace falling to No. 17 overall — 5 spots lower than ESPN’s previous mock projected Wallace to be selected.

However, it’s possible the drop could end up benefitting Wallace longterm. This new projection has Wallace landing with the Los Angeles Lakers, who are coming off of a Western Conference Finals appearance but could use another versatile guard in their rotation.

Here’s some analysis from Givony on Wallace’s draft stock:

Wallace measured better than expected at the draft combine but appears to have a bit of a wider range on draft night than other lottery candidates, as some teams don’t view him as a surefire point guard or primary creator and others question his scoring credentials. Still, there aren’t many better defenders in the class than Wallace. His strong dimensions (comparable to multipositional guards like De’Anthony Melton, Bruce Brown and Tyrese Maxey) give him significant versatility to tap into when paired with his excellent instincts and intensity level, especially when surrounded with talent on a playoff team.

Wallace measured in at 6-foot-2.5 without shoes at the NBA combine earlier this month. He also registered a longer-than-expected wingspan of 6-foot-8.5.

He projects to be an elite point-of-attack defender who could guard up the lineup in certain situations thanks to his impressive wingspan. Offensively, Wallace averaged 11.7 points and 4.3 assists per contest in his lone season at Kentucky.

The 2023 NBA Draft is set for June 22.