Lakers Rumors: The Lakers should Trade Their Pick to the Timberwolves

The latest Lakers rumors are regarding the teams first round selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. If they maintain this selection, show they then trade it away?

Ah, Lakers rumors formulating before they even receive their first round pick. As you may or may not know, the Lakers are currently relying on the NBA Lottery gods to bless them with a top three selection, allowing the team to keep their first round pick. If not, the 76ers will receive their pick, giving them a chance to land their own top three selection alongside a Lakers lottery selection.

If the Lakers do land their own selection, and keep it, the most talked about move has been the drafting of UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball. I mean, just look at our site, even we can’t stop talking about the playmaking point guard. Lonzo, alongside crazy dad Lavar, are such polarizing figures and are impossible to not talk about.

Lonzo seems to be the superstar of the future, potentially developing into a triple-double machine, and Lavar is the perfect spokesperson. Whether it was comparing his son to Stephen Curry, or declaring the Ball boys  deserve a $1 Billion shoe deal, the man keeps shocking the world.

Despite this overreaching father, the Lakers seem like the perfect destination for Ball. The Lakers have young talent, but desperately need that playmaking dynamic that can lead the team. Ball, being a Southern California native and going to school at UCLA, seems to be the answer to every fans’ prayers.

However, what if the impossible happened, and the Lakers decided not to draft Ball, and instead, trade that top three selection that we have all so desperately wanted. While this option never seemed likely, NBA Analyst Chris Broussard brought up an interesting point while talking to Colin Cowherd on the Fox Sports 1 show The Herd:

"Lonzo, when given open shots, which he would get with the two guys you mentioned [Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns], he will nail those. And then when he drives, he could finish with a dunk if he wanted to. So, I agree with you. If I am the Timberwolves I’m giving up like Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, or maybe Zach LaVine and the number five pick or whatever it ends up being, to get to number one, I’d do it."

Here, although Broussard mentions trading up to the number one pick, we see that Lonzo Ball would be an even better fit on the Minnesota Timberwolves than he is on the Los Angeles Lakers. So, would this be a good deal for Los Angeles? Absolutely.

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Listen, the Lakers are not losing anything in this deal. Let’s say Minnesota sends Los Angeles only Zach LaVine and their draft pick – the Lakers are essentially getting an up incoming great shooting guard that will only get better, and another high draft pick.

Sure, they are sacrificing the “perfect” addition of Lonzo Ball, but look what they are getting in return. Zach LaVine instantly is the Lakers starting shooting guard, and if the Timberwolves do get the fifth pick, they still have great prospects to choose from.

This deal may seem unlikely on Minnesota’s side, but with young star Kris Dunn ready to explode into his potential, it may not be a bad deal. They could effectively bring in a playmaker in Ball, and give more freedom to Dunn and Shabazz Muhammad. The Timberwolves could run Dunn and Ball for a smaller back court, or bring Muhammed over to shooting guard for a bigger back court.

Next: Three Point Guards to Draft not Named Lonzo Ball

Regardless, this deal seems perfect for both sides. While Lonzo Ball is great, if the Lakers can get an already established star and let him lead along with only sacrificing a few spots, these Lakers rumors are a no-brainer.