The Los Angeles Lakers have the second overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and the most likely scenario is that they draft former UCLA star Lonzo Ball. That would all change, however, if they decided to trade the pick.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said after the draft lottery that the Lakers are open to discussing trades for the No. 2 pick, but he noted that they are unlikely to deal it. Despite that, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Lakers have been “taking and making calls” about their lottery pick.
Taking calls is one thing. When teams are interested in acquiring an asset, any good GM will at least see what they are willing to pay. Initiating the trade talks is a slightly different story, as it might indicate the Lakers are not in love with Ball or any other player they’d be in position to draft at No. 2.
None of the players in the upcoming draft are considered franchise-altering talent, so it seems unlikely that any team would offer the Lakers a boatload for their pick. While fans in L.A. would love to see the team trade for Paul George, there’s really no need to do that. George is set to become a free agent next summer, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he wants to sign with the Lakers.
As Pro Basketball Talk notes, Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss recently said it would “break my heart” if her team hosted the All-Star Game next season without having an All-Star. Unless one of L.A.’s young stars breaks out, they might not end up having an All-Star without a trade.
The Lakers will probably hold onto the pick, but Ball and his father have to be at least somewhat concerned about the recent reports regarding the team’s feelings on Lonzo.
