The Los Angeles Lakers were huge winners at the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night when they landed the fourth overall pick, and it may prove to be a valuable trade chip for them this offseason.
While on a conference call with reporters after the lottery was completed, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said the team will explore the trade value of the No. 4 pick.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka is on a conference call with reporters and has made it very clear Lakers will canvass the league to determine trade value of fourth pick. Jumping this high in the draft, he said, is "an extraordinary shift for us."
— Bill Oram (@billoram) May 15, 2019
Landing the fourth pick was huge for a team that had the 11th-best chance at landing the No. 1 pick, but it may not be as valuable as it sounds. This year’s draft is viewed as a three-player draft with Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett as the big prizes. Virginia guard De’Andre Hunter, who scored 27 points in the national championship game, is on the fringe of that top tier, but teams aren’t nearly as high on him.
Either way, the Lakers now have the option of packaging the No. 4 pick in potential trades. That’s an asset they didn’t expect to have, and LeBron James’ reaction reflected that.
#4 ???? Beautiful.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 15, 2019
The Lakers are currently entrenched in an offseason that has featured Magic Johnson stepping down and a botched coaching search, so they desperately needed something to go their way. Landing the No. 4 pick was just that.
