Los Angeles Lakers Should Trade Top-Five Pick
By Pablo Jacobo
The 2014-15 Los Angeles Lakers are one loss away from becoming the worst losing team in franchise history. They currently sit at 21-60 with the Sacramento Kings coming into Staples Center on Wednesday. The Lakers have franchise-altering decisions to make heading into the summer.
Los Angeles secured the fourth-worst record in the entire NBA and have an 82.8-percent chance of retaining their top-five pick. Overall the Lakers could have as many as four draft picks in the 2015 NBA Draft. This season however, they have stumbled upon some nice young players for their future.
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Jordan Clarkson is looking like the steal of the 2014 draft. He’s drawn numerous praises from NBA players like Zach Randolph, Chris Paul and most recently Rajon Rondo. Jabari Brown from their D-League affiliate was rewarded with a multi-year deal for his outstanding performances. Also Julius Randle should be healthy and ready to go next season.
The majority of Laker fans were on team tank this season especially when players were falling victim to the injury bug. The aforementioned Randle was lost for the year alongside Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Xavier Henry, Ronnie Price, Wayne Ellington and most recently Jeremy Lin and Dwight Buycks. A total of eight players have been lost in this nightmare of a season.
Earlier in the season reports surfaced that the New York Knicks would explore “possibilities” of trading their top pick. The Lakers should do the same. The Laker way has really never been predicated on developing young players. The franchise has always signed or traded for stars to lead them to championships. Let’s face it; you can’t win in this NBA without stars. The current playoff-bound teams have one or two stars on their roster. The Lakers have an aging 36-year-old Bryant.
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The Lakers have the option of dangling their high-pick to acquire a proven NBA player. Would the Lakers mortgage their future again for a bonafied superstar? Let’s say someone like Russell Westbrook? Kevin Love is another option if he opts-in with Cleveland. Kevin Durant is an interesting case if he doesn’t sign an extension over the summer. I can do this all day with a number of players but you get the gist of what I’m saying. ESPN analyst Jalen Rose predicted in 2013 that Westbrook and Love would reunite in Los Angeles at some point. Take his statement with a grain of salt, but it could playout this summer.
The Lakers will have approximately $30 million in cap space this summer and will have ample space to bring in an impact player or two. The Lakers would certainly have to include multiple picks and perhaps one of Clarkson or Randle. It’s a huge price to pay for a player of Westbrook’s caliber, but necessary. If Love opted-out of his deal, then he could join his former UCLA teammate if he wanted to. His discontent in Cleveland has been well documented throughout the season. A return to Los Angeles is not farfetched. Westbrook would be under contract until 2017 and Love could sign a one-year deal for less money until 2016 when the cap is going to increase substantially. More importantly Bryant’s deal will be off the books by then. The Lakers could offer Love a few more bucks if they manage to rid themselves of Nick Young’s deal. Reports surfaced that the Lakers will listen to offers for Swaggy P. In any case I’ll take the proven commodity over the unproven any day. The scenarios are unrealistic (I know) but would the Lakers give up their assets for another superstar?
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The Lakers could go another route by offering the pick for a restricted free agent in the offseason. Three excellent players will hit the market. Spurs’ 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard (23) and first-time All-Star Jimmy Butler (25) will be available. The Lakers could offer their top-five pick as compensation to sign the player. San Antonio has not been known to overpay to keep their players. Things could change if Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili decide to retire. Chicago is well over the cap and may have to think twice before signing Butler to a max deal. The Bulls will have to sacrifice players in order to accommodate the 25-year-old winger. L.A. could offer said player max money (and keep the pick) and risk their current team matching the offer. Tobias Harris (22) will also be available as the Lakers are in need of help on the wings. Harris may not be worth giving up a top-five pick, but he is an option nonetheless.
In the end the Lakers could elect to stand pat and draft either Duke NCAA champions Jahlil Okafor or Justise Winslow, Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay or Stanley Johnson to name a few. Adding either of them to their current cast of Randle, Clarkson and Brown would still be fantastic going forward. Mitch Kupchak mentioned that he would not jeopardize the Lakers future by signing veterans to aid Bryant’s quest for a title. He would prefer to build through the draft. With the Black Mamba seemingly out the door, preserving their picks and adding youth to the roster would be wise. Let’s say the Lakers select four players in 2015, add the current trio of Randle, Clarkson and Brown to Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black and Ed Davis plus plenty of money to sign a marquee free agent or two like Rondo and the future doesn’t look so grim. This will go in-line with Jim Buss’ three-year window he gave himself to get the Lakers back into championship contention. One year down and the clock is ticking for Buss.
What this all boils down to — Is the front office patient enough to wait for their current crop of young players to mature? Is the fan base ready to endure the possibility of a 3 to 4 year rebuilding project? It’s going to be an interesting summer for the purple and gold. What transpires in the offseason with the draft and free agency, will significantly impact the franchise’s future.