4 Lakers Who Won't Survive the Trade Deadline
By Cem Yolbulan
Jalen Hood-Schifino
Another player who hasn't been able to kickstart his Lakers career is Los Angeles' 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old rookie has only seen the court in garbage time all season and doesn't seem like he is part of the plans in Los Angeles.
Hood-Schifino can still have a decent NBA career. He has good size, scoring, and pick-and-roll ability. But this is a big swing-and-miss for the Lakers. When your superstar is 39 years old, you have to get something positive in return for your first-round draft picks.
If there wasn't anyone who the Lakers thought could contribute immediately, then they should have moved the pick on draft day. This especially hurts when there were players like Jaime Jaquez and Brandin Podziemski, who are contributing this season, that the Lakers could have selected instead.
Los Angeles can't afford to wait around and hope for raw prospects to become impactful NBA players. That is why it's time to move on from Hood-Schifino by combining him with additional draft compensation and one of the players above to get veteran help.
The Lakers are currently considered a long shot to win the Western Conference. FanDuel Sportsbook gives them the seventh-best odds at +1800. Head over to FanDuel to take advantage of their sign-up bonus that gives you $200 when you make a winning bet of $5.
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