Lakers Rumors: Analyzing Draft Plans and More Ahead of All-Star Break
The debate as to whether "tanking" exists in the NBA is a good one and perhaps no better personified than by one of the league's most historic franchises, the Los Angeles Lakers—a team that will be lucky to sniff the 20-win mark.
With the All-Star Game on approach, the Lakers boast all of 13 wins. A current streak of 11 road losses is a franchise record.
The plan is increasingly difficult to figure out. Injuries have hurt, sure. Hopefuls would like a move or two at the trade deadline, but it's not as if the coaching staff has done much to help tradeable assets actually look like that on the court.
Things are so dire that even legends are close to turning a cold shoulder:
The light at the end of the tunnel will continue to be the draft and free agency, though, if not a miracle move at the deadline. Thanks to the staff's erratic behavior, the latest batch of rumblings follows suit.
Wishful Deadline Thinking
It is no secret the Lakers do not have a ton to offer via trade. Again, the staff's strange usage of Jeremy Lin and others will not do much to change the minds of potential trade partners, either.
Regardless, the Lakers are a hot topic at the deadline, as it would behoove the front office to at least make a move to free up more cap space in future years.
Interestingly enough, one of the more underrated nuggets to come out as of late comes from Sean Deveney of Sporting News and suggests the team is one of many with an interest in Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson:
"Gibson has been connected to much of the league the past few months, from Los Angeles to Toronto to Phoenix to Detroit to Portland."
This seemed only a matter of time, really, as Gibson is perhaps the most mentioned player in whispers as the deadline nears.
Gibson is now 29 years old and perhaps the lone tradeable chip on the Chicago roster at this point. Being a contender, if the Bulls want to make a win-now move in order to push for a shot at a title, it makes sense to consider moving a player who averages a 10.6/6.8/1.3 slash line and a 16.04 PER, according to ESPN.com.
As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders points out, though, money may prove to be an issue if the Lakers and Bulls were to work on a transaction:
Gibson counts as an $8.5 million hit next season and $8.95 million in 2016, per Spotrac.
He is a great player, sure, but those numbers may prove to be a bit too much for a team seemingly set on luring major free agents to town that will command top dollar.
Like anything surrounding the Lakers right now, the how in potential plans is impossible to discern.
The Draft
Nobody expects the Lakers to pull a Philadelphia 76ers and build through the draft with top pick after top pick.
That plan will certainly pay off for the 76ers down the road, it is just not one the Lakers need to utilize. They're Los Angeles—Jim Buss doesn't need to amass young talent to counteract the fact that no major free agents will come to town.
This does not change the fact that the Lakers figure to be in a prime position to land another top prospect who can complement Julius Randle for years down the road. According to ESPN Insider's Chad Ford, Duke's Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay of the Chinese Basketball Association are the top two targets:
"If they finish with the worst record in the league, Okafor is a slam dunk for them. Their best and only big man is Jordan Hill, and he's a far cry from Okafor. For a team that has a long legacy of elite big men -- from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O'Neal to Andrew Bynum (OK, not so much Bynum) -- the Lakers would love to have a young front line of Okafor and Julius Randle. Okafor's closest competition I'm told is Mudiay, but it's not that close right now.
"
It seems premature, but nothing really is at this point as the Lakers continue to eye the future and go through the motions on the court.
Okafor is an obvious fit in Los Angeles considering he averages 18.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. His ability to pair with Randle beneath the rim would mean the Lakers can use free agency to upgrade elsewhere, not to mention avoid throwing major cash at someone such as Marc Gasol.
Mudiay is more of a risk but more likely to be available when it comes time for the Lakers to make a pick. He's a pass-first point with a shaky jumper, meaning he'll mesh just fine with Kobe Bryant and others who join over the course of the next few seasons.
So long as the Lakers stay the course, which seems the safest bet of the year, the team might be in play for one of its top two names.
Either way, the early peek inside the draft board shows where the team wants to upgrade, with the dominoes in clear alignment once another rookie joins the rebuild.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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