It seems as though the Lakers are looking at trading their number 17 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft.
“…there is an increasing likelihood they trade it Thursday,” The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported on Tuesday.
One NBA writer has proposed the Lakers should use their pick to make a clever move to land a veteran point guard.
“If Pelinka makes the draft-day deal and comes away with somebody like DeMar DeRozan or Buddy Hield, he could then look toward Washington to add the icing,” Yahoo Sports’ Bill Plaschke wrote.
“That would be Chris Paul.
“Wouldn’t that be sweet? The point guard who was once denied entry to Lakerland by late Commissioner David Stern finally busting down the gates in the final moments of his career?”
A deal between the Lakers and the Jazz could be also be viable as Utah have the number 9, 16 and 28 picks and plenty of future firsts.
Trading down for multiple picks would make sense for the franchise and with new CBA rules coming into play, acquiring cheaper roster spots may be a key to success.
It is no secret the purple and gold are looking to offload Malik Beasley’s salary ($16.5 million) and Mo Bamba’s $10.3 million salary to get a skilled addition like Myles Turner or Dorian Finney-Smith.
If LA were to keep their pick, 19-year-old Dereck Lively is projected to be number 17 in many mock drafts.
“The 7-foot-1 center uses his 7-foot-7 wingspan and elite athleticism and mobility well on the defensive end, emerging as one of college basketball’s best rim protectors and defenders in the second half of last season,” Buha says.
“…Most importantly, the 19-year-old possesses the type of relentless motor that has come to define the most successful Lakers role players during the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era. Under Davis’ tutelage, Lively could eventually develop into a DeAndre Jordan-type with better shooting range and more defensive upside.”
Bring on NBA Draft day!