Just as he finished a two-hour workout that showed off his post moves and even occasional range, Duke center Jahlil Okafor stood on the Lakers’ practice court and gazed at the retired jerseys that hang on their walls.

The uniforms that George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal once wore remain there, providing a visual reminder on how much the Lakers’ 16 NBA championships have centered around dominant big men. It sounded like the 19-year-old Okafor wanted to become the next one.

“I would love to be here and have the opportunity to learn from all those guys. That would definitely be to my advantage,” said Okafor, who listed O’Neal as his favorite player growing up. “Just how dominant they were. They were all about winning and when they came here they won. If I did that, I would have some big shoes to step in. But I’m ready.”

So much that Okafor all but provided an official endorsement that he would want to wear a purple and gold uniform so he can bring championship prosperity the same he did this past season with the Blue Devils.

“I can definitely see myself here in LA. Just the tradition. I’m coming from Duke University, we had the winningest coach in college basketball,” Okafor said, referring to Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski. “That entire atmosphere was about winning and that’s what the Lakers organization is about, that’s something I want to be a part of. I’ve always won. I’ve won state championships, national championship, gold medal, all that, so I would love to come in and have the opportunity to win an NBA championship.”

Still, Okafor dismissed reports as inaccurate that he has told the Minnesota Timberwolves he would not want to play for him. Okafor and his agent, Bill Duffy, plan to meet in Los Angeles sometime this week with Flip Saunders, Minnesota’s coach and president of basketball operations.

Nonetheless, he hardly sounded worried about how he compared to Kentucky’s Karl Anthony-Towns, or if he should become the No. 1 pick.

“Being the No. 1 pick isn’t that important to me, I think it’s more so for the fan base,” Okafor said. “I just want to be in the right position and with a team that wants me.”

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak conceded there remains uncertain with his No. 2 pick for a few reasons. The modern NBA puts a higher premium on outside shooting and point guard play, making Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell or China’s Emmanuel Mudiay arguably more valuable. Yet, Okafor’s play could give the Lakers a competitive advantage considering the NBA’s lack of dominant big men. Kupchak also conceded “all options are on the table” on possibly trading the pick.

But Okafor offered plenty of positive signs in his individual workout.

He played so dominant inside against Lakers assistant coach Mark Madsen that he needed ice bags to treat his knees afterwards. The Lakers said Madsen felt fine, but it was telling that Okafor’s 6-11, 270-pound frame could make such a presence on Madsen after once giving O’Neal problems in practice. Okafor also showed some decent range with his mid-range jumper and three-point shot toward the end of his workout that was open to reporters.

Yet, Okafor noted that his “bread and butter” involves his post play. That presence helped Okafor average 17.3 points per game on 66.4 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks last season at Duke, making NBA talent evaluators to consider him the most offensively polished in his draft class.

“I’m very confident on the offensive floor,” Okafor said when asked if he could averaged 19 or 20 points per game his rookie season. “I feel like I can score when there’s one guy guarding me. That’s not too farfetched for my imagination.”

Added Kupchak: “Offensively, what he does on the court will translate quickly to the NBA.”

Yet, there are concerns.

NBA talent evaluators consider Anthony-Towns as the No. 1 pick mainly because of his superior defense. Okafor downplayed that criticism, noting that Duke’s coaching staff never griped about it and that he often lacked aggressiveness so he could stay out of foul trouble amid the Blue Devils’ short rotation. Kupchak echoed that talking point before conceding his own criticism.

“If there’s a part of his game that lags,” Kupchak said, “it would be his defensive presence on the court.”

Meanwhile, Okafor shot only just 51 percent from the foul line.

“That was obvious. I was missing free throws,” said Okafor, who blamed those miscues on mental lapses. “I’ve been working the entire summer working on it and I feel confident.”

Okafor also sounded confident on how he would fit with the Lakers.

He has spent his entire summer training in Santa Barbara. Okafor gushed about dining out with the Lakers’ basketball operations staff on Monday night. He predicted he would complement Julius Randle, who will return next season after appearing in only the season opener before injuring his right leg. Okafor spoke with enthusiasm learning from Kobe Bryant.

“He’s obviously one of the greatest to ever do it, if not the greatest,” Okafor said of Bryant. “Being able to come here and talk to him, work with him in practice, that would be awesome.”

So would wearing a Lakers jersey, calling it “surreal” the first time he wore the gear.

“When I first thought about the NBA I always thought about the Lakers. They have a winning tradition, 11 championships. That’s what I want to be a part of,” Okafor said. “I’ve won at every single level and that would be my goal, especially being here with the Lakers. I’ve been walking around and a lot of Laker fans telling me they want me here and telling me that they want to win. And I love it.

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FolloW L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com