Lakers Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Goran Dragic, Possible No. 1 Draft Choice

The Los Angeles Lakers have been the talk of the NBA since the calendar changed to February. Despite a 13-40 record, the Lakers have clogged up the rumor mill with both trade and free-agent news just days ahead of the Feb. 19 trade deadline.

It's rare for a team as bad as the Lakers to be the talk of the league at this time in the year, especially given the lack of assets Los Angeles has to deal. Jeremy Lin is valuable, but he's expensive. Jordan Hill is hurt, likely limiting his market. Robert Sacre isn't a player teams will go out of their way to acquire. Wesley Johnson has a player-efficiency rating (PER) of 11.20, per ESPN.

There really isn't much left.

Naturally, this means the team will look ahead to next season, when Kobe Bryant returns from injury in what could be his final season in the Association. What will the team do to make itself a contender by this time next season? It all starts with this year's trade deadline, where unloading whatever possible is a must.

Below, you'll read about the latest chatter coming out of Hollywood.

Goran Dragic

ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that the Lakers are looking to address their gaping hole at point guard within the next few days: "The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are among many teams expected to try to persuade the Phoenix Suns to part with star guard Goran Dragic before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, according to league sources."

Goran Dragic is a very good fit for the Lakers. He just isn't the best fit right now.

It's apparent that the talentless Lakers are in need of both a point guard and secondary scorer next to "The Black Mamba" (when he's healthy). But he isn't healthy right now. Dragic will run the show—which is usually fine.

The 28-year-old is averaging 16.2 points per game with the Suns this season, showing his capability to run an NBA offense effectively. But this is one of the rare scenarios where the Lakers should not do everything possible to improve. They need to tank.

And tank badly.

Los Angeles is on track for a lottery pick, which would be great if it falls within the top five. This has nothing to do with the depth of talent in the NBA draft; if the pick falls outside of the top five, then the Suns would get it as compensation for the Steve Nash trade in 2012.

Should Dragic actually make the Lakers better (which he would), then the team runs the risk of losing out on a high pick in the draft (which would be the second year in a row with a pick that high). When you think about it, they would effectively be trading that pick to the Suns for Dragic.

Dragic is ideal for this team next season. Stein writes that the team planned on pursuing him in free agency anyway: "Sources say L.A. plans to chase Dragic this summer anyway with an aggressive four-year offer that would be valued as high as an estimated $80 million if it approaches max-contract territory."

The Lakers don't need to save face right now. The organization is well past that point. It's time to bite the bullet by trading away as much as possible. Create cap room and roster flexibility. Byron Scott needs to see what his young guys (Tarik Black and Jordan Clarkson, specifically) can do in increased roles.

Acquiring Dragic right now is wrong on a ton of levels. Wait a few months, Lakers. It'll work out better then.

Top Draft Choice

It's never too early to look ahead to the draft, especially when talking about a team with no hopes of success. The Lakers know that there are at least two players in the upcoming draft class who could be game-changers in the NBA.

ESPN Insider Chad Ford spoke about the chances of the Lakers selecting either one with their impending lottery pick:

"

If they finish with the worst record in the league, [Jahlil] 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 [Emmanuel] Mudiay, but it's not that close right now.

"

Okafor, of course, is widely considered the nation's top prospect. The Duke freshman is averaging 18.2 points and 9.3 boards per game for the 22-3 Blue Devils, wowing viewers live and on television in the process. His physical skills coupled with his touch around the hoop make him the top prize of the upcoming draft.

The New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers currently have better chances of obtaining the top pick as things stand now. The Sixers are likely the only team who could pass on Okafor given their wealth of young big men, so the Lakers do have a legitimate shot at taking him with a pick other than No. 1.

But it shouldn't be considered a loss if they miss on Okafor—especially if Mudiay is still on the table. Even rapper The Game is pushing for Mudiay:

A 19-year-old point guard playing in the Chinese Basketball Association, Mudiay is a 6'5" athlete who plays stellar defense and slashes to the basket with authority.

He isn't the offensive threat that Okafor would be, for a variety of reasons. Okafor could potentially dominate in a league that isn't exactly brimming with talent at the center position. Plus, Mudiay's jumper isn't polished. It's not a consistent part of his arsenal just yet.

In all honesty, the Lakers really can't go wrong with a pick within the top five. It'll almost be like getting two highly touted rookies next season, as Julius Randle has yet to suit up during the regular season.

With two young stars, Bryant and potentially Dragic running the show next season, the Lakers have something to look forward to.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn