The NBA Finals will soon come to an end, and the offseason will get underway. Just over a week remains until the NBA Draft, and the rumor mill has already started to pick up speed. Its favorite team, lways, is the Los Angeles Lakers.
We are beginning to get a clearer picture of the Lakers’ ambitions as everyone in the NBA is excited to see what they will accomplish this summer. But you’ll be surprised by Sam Amico of Hoops Wire’s most recent report.
This is unexpected in a number of ways. To begin with, the Lakers don’t have enough trade assets to make this kind of transaction. At the moment, they hold the 17th overall pick. They can only trade two more of their potential first-round picks. A young player like Max Christie or Jalen Hood-Schifino, or an experienced player like Rui Hachimura or Austin Reaves, might be acquired in exchange for one.
Second, because they would be giving up some of their most valuable trade chips, they would be unable to truly make another significant move after making such a trade.
Furthermore, a lot of people agree that this draft class is among the poorest ever. The Lakers would be taking a significant chance by giving up future assets in such a transaction in the absence of a clear future star.
Presumably, the Lakers have selected a particular candidate that they truly desire. But in the latter part of LeBron James’ career, it might not be the best use of resources to take that big swing for a rookie. It’s time to make a decision on whether to invest for the future or try to win now with the LeBron-Davis combination. Trading up in the draft would be a bad decision if you go with the former.
