Los Angeles Lakers: Not trading the fourth overall pick would be a failure

The Los Angeles Lakers jumped all the way to the fourth overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft and cannot make the mistake of not trading the pick.

The Los Angeles Lakers were one of three teams that made the jump into the top four picks of the NBA Draft Lottery and made the biggest jump of all three. With the New Orleans Pelicans getting the first pick, the Memphis Grizzlies getting the second and the Lakers getting the fourth, it is apparent that this new anti-tanking lottery is effective.

Moving all the way up from the 11th to the fourth overall pick is a huge win for the Los Angeles Lakers. A late lottery pick really was not going to do much for the franchise and this new pick suddenly opens other doors.

The team could either trade the pick in hopes of getting something great in return or could use the selection to draft a complimentary piece to the roster. Either way, it is better than the 11th overall pick.

Well, not necessarily. Although it is better to have the fourth overall pick, the Lakers would be making a massive mistake if they held onto the pick instead of including in a trade for an already proven contender.

While there are exciting prospects such as Darius Garland and Cam Reddish, the Lakers would not be getting much out of a rookie with the fourth overall pick. While they could eventually be special, the last thing the team needs is a project that will eventually pay dividends.

The team already has youth on the roster in Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball.Now the team needs the secondary superstars to play alongside LeBron James and the young core in order to contend for the title.

It would be different if the Lakers had the third overall pick as R.J. Barrett is someone who could have made an impact right away as well as in the future. However, the draft is very top heavy with a stark drop-off from the third to the fourth overall pick.

It is still a valuable trade asset though and it can be the deciding part of a trade offer that could land the Lakers a second star. The team only has so much time to contend with LeBron James and has to utilize the assets while they can.

It might not seem like the smart long-term thing to do but the Lakers will be just fine. As previously noted, the team already has youth and will be just fine moving forward without the fourth overall pick.

The Los Angeles Lakers are essentially playing with house money now and if the team is unable to turn that into something special then the fanbase has every right to feel disappointed.