Lakers News: Latest on Philadelphia 76ers Trade, Draft Rumors and More
It's another big offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers as they look to climb back to relevancy in the Western Conference.
With the free-agency frenzy on hold until July 1—or really, until LeBron James decides how he wants to shift the balance of power in the NBA—the next step for the Lakers and the rest of the league is Thursday night's NBA draft.
The Lakers have already made at least one move on this front, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
With the move, the Lakers now have the 25th, 39th and 47th picks in this year's draft. Three picks means three young, but more importantly, cheap, players. RealGM's Keith Smith liked the move:
The Lakers are going to be chasing the top names in free agency. If they can convince one or two of them to come to Tinseltown, they are going to have to empty out the coffers. That means padding out the roster with guys who can soak up minutes cost-effectively.
So who might the Lakers be looking at with these draft picks? ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk floated a couple of names—one as more of a prototype, the other as a seemingly real possibility:
Deandre Ayton is getting all the attention as the likely No. 1 pick in this year's draft, but his Arizona teammate, Allonzo Trier, has the makings of a competent scorer off the bench. The guard scored 18.1 points per game and shot 38 percent from three-point range on a healthy 5.6 attempts last season for the Wildcats. The Lakers shot 34.5 percent from downtown last season.
Los Angeles hasn't had much luck in getting big names to come to the team in years past, but this year could be the one in which the Lakers finally bring in the stars that take them back to the playoffs.
It may sound crazy, but OddsShark.com still has purple and gold as the most likely colors James will wear this season (odds updated as of Thursday). If James does join the Lakers, other top players will give them plenty of consideration.
The organization does seem to be preparing for this possibility and is making sure that there are no false steps that could get them in trouble. Per ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne: "The Los Angeles Lakers recently called an organizational meeting to warn all employees about possible tampering ahead of a free-agent signing period in which they are expected to play a key role, with the ability to sign two superstars, sources with knowledge of the meeting told ESPN."
A key player the Lakers might target this offseason is Palmdale, California, native Paul George, whom the franchise has already been fined for tampering with last year. George, a five-time All-Star, can opt out of his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer. Los Angeles will be aggressive, but it must tread carefully.
It's a pivotal offseason for key members of the Lakers brass. A franchise accustomed to success, the Lakers are in the midst of a five-year playoff drought, with executives Jim and Jeanie Buss having whiffed badly on self-imposed championship deadlines. Fans will demand much more than what they've seen over the past few years.
A young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma is the most enticing one the team has had in years, as all three players are malleable and can work as complements to superstars. Ball is a brilliant passer who likes to set up others, Kuzma is a fine shooter, and Ingram uses his long limbs and footwork to create space and get to the hoop effectively.
If the Lakers cannot entice some big veteran names to join that group, there will still be plenty of optimism, but it will push the rebuilding project even further down the road.
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