Over the past couple of weeks the questions about what the Lakers will do with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft has centered on who they will draft. Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, and De’Aaron Fox are the favorites to be selected, but there is another possibility that hasn’t been discussed as much.
There is always a chance that they could trade their pick if the right deal comes along. Of course any deal involving the second pick would have to be a major one.
According to Tania Ganguli of the LA Times, the Lakers have been both taking and making calls about their pick:
In the month since, however, the Lakers have been taking and making calls about trading the pick, said a source who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. They’ve had scenarios presented to them, and offered their own.
Teams calling about the second pick shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, especially with how deep this draft class is and the potential superstars available at the top. More interesting is that the Lakers have been offering the pick.
Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have both spoken about the need to turn things around quickly and moving the pick for a star player would definitely accelerate the turnaround. The question is what kind of offers have the Lakers made.
With the draft only a week away it still seems unlikely that the Lakers move the pick. In all likelihood the opportunity to add someone like Ball or Jackson will be too big to pass up. But that is all dependent on which players are available in a potential deal.
The Lakers are already one of the teams to watch right now, but more possibilities continue to pop up. It is anyone’s guess as to what they will do leading up to the draft on June 22.