Lakers Rumors: Trade Packages the Lakers could Receive for their First Round Pick
By Jason Reed
Out of all Lakers rumors, the most prevalent seems to be the eventual arrival of UCLA’s Lonzo Ball. However, what if the Lakers went a different direction and traded their draft pick?
The Los Angeles Lakers are in a peculiar spot heading into the 2017 NBA Draft. The Philadelphia 76ers currently own the Lakers first round pick, with the only caveat being that it is top three protected. Therefore, the Lakers need to secure either the first, second, or third overall pick or they will have to settle with just the Rockets pick in the high twenties.
The problem is though that this young Lakers team is finally turning a corner and is refusing to tank. One would think the team was in full tank mode, and they seemed to be after dealing Lou Williams, but that is not the case. The Lakers are currently riding on a four-game win streak, their longest of the season, and have now given themselves a 46.9% chance of securing their pick.
The popular consensus is that if the Lakers do manage to secure a top three draft pick they would use it on UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball. Ball’s father, Lavar, has been very open that the Lakers is his number one preference, and even without that comment Ball seems to be a perfect fit in LA. He is a playmaker, a more natural point guard than D’Angelo Russell, and is a So-Cal native.
However, what if the team went in a completely different direction? What if the Lakers decided to pass on ball and his outlandish father in favor of an established star, dealing the pick for one. That could accelerate this rebuild, but would be extremely risky.
Therefore, according to the trade finder within NBA 2K17, here are three potential trade packages the Lakers could receive for their first round selection.