Report: Lakers Have 'Palpable Fear' of Pelicans Pick Swap amid Wembanyama Sweepstakes

As the Los Angeles Lakers continue their tailspin, there is reportedly concern inside the organization that they could wind up winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes—just not for themselves.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported there is "palpable fear" within the Lakers organization over the 2023 pick swap they owe the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers (3-10) would be among the four teams with the best odds of winning the lottery and landing Wembanyama if the season ended today.

Even if the Lakers' pick does not land at No. 1, Scoot Henderson is the consensus No. 2 player in this class and is seen as a bonafide potential superstar. There is a non-zero chance the Lakers will have handed the Pelicans a generational talent to pair with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, an All-Star-caliber player the Lakers already sent to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis trade.

New Orleans also has its option of taking the Lakers' 2024 or 2025 first-round pick, meaning there will be no feasible avenue for the team to land a superstar through the draft until at least 2025—if not 2026.

While it's unlikely many Lakers fans would give away the 2020 championship, it's becoming increasingly apparent the Pelicans were the long-term winners of the Davis blockbuster. Whereas New Orleans has built a strong young core of talent that should compete for playoff spots for years to come, the Lakers have gotten one season of true superstar production from Davis in an otherwise disappointing tenure.

It's become increasingly apparent that Davis is more of a second fiddle on a championship team than a player capable of carrying the torch in a post-LeBron James era. The strain is already showing with James beginning to lose his battle with Father Time in Year 20.

In other words, these fears in the Lakers front office are founded in a potentially disastrous reality.