Lakers Should Make Bold Move Up amid Trade Rumors Ahead of 2023 NBA Draft
The Los Angeles Lakers need Thursday night's NBA draft to deliver something.
They don't necessarily need a star—they get plenty of star power from the Anthony Davis-LeBron James tandem—but they certainly need someone who can complement those stars.
Finding rotation-caliber talent with the picks they have (Nos. 17 and 47) could be a challenge, and they seemingly know that. At this stage, it's become "more likely than not" will trade the 17th pick, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, who notes that moving up, down or out of this draft are all on the table.
While teams should remain open and flexible on the trade market, the preferred path for the Purple and Gold seems obvious: This team should be locked in on moving up.
Trading down could net the Lakers more picks, but it also lessens the likelihood of them finding plug-and-play talent. While the roster could use an injection of youth, what it really needs are young players who can hit the ground running and help this team chase a championship already next season.
Since the 17th pick isn't guaranteed to deliver that, it probably goes without saying that moving back from 17 would only increase the difficulty.
Trading out of the draft could be tempting, since the Lakers would have a much better grasp on what they'd be getting in return. Rather than projecting prospect growth and hoping for the best in terms of development, they would add a player with established value in this league.
There is some talent to be found here. Buha compiled a list of names connected to L.A. in recent weeks, and there are some interesting names like Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale. Any of that group could command significant rotation minutes, and all would have at least a chance to compete for a starting spot.
Still, there isn't a difference-maker in that group, and a lot of those players aren't cheap. That could make cap management—an increasing concern under the new collective bargaining agreement—with James and Davis already costing a fortune, and multiple Lakers free agents (namely, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura) being in line for huge pay spikes.
Drafting and developing talent would be critical for teams to maintain momentum in the league's new economy. And yes, that's just as true of win-now teams for the Lakers as anyone, if not more so given the cost of fielding a contending-quality roster.
What the Lakers need, more than anything, is a young, cheap player who can fill a fairly prominent role for next season's squad. That's why moving up is the move to make.
L.A. has been "searching for trade avenues to move up into the early teens," per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, who noted Baylor scoring guard Keyonte George could be a target. The slippery scorer boasts a deep bag of defense-shedding moves and can make every shot in the book.
If the Lakers trade up, George doesn't have to be the pick. Michigan's Kobe Bufkin and Indiana's Jalen Hood-Schifino could provide a similar lift to the backcourt. Kansas' Gradey Dick could scratch an obvious itch for perimeter shooting. Duke's Dereck Lively II could be an impact rim-running center should L.A. want to slide Davis back to the power forward spot.
The specific target isn't as important as the general talent base the Lakers would gain access to if they moved up the board. They simply can't access a prospect of that pedigree if they stand pat. Moving down would only lessen the likelihood of finding a significant return.
While L.A. has a number of different directions it could take, the choice seems clear.
Move up in this draft, and the Lakers might be moving closer to their next championship run.
