The Los Angeles Lakers lastly have a brand new head coach in place so the workforce’s consideration can flip to the 2024 NBA draft and the upcoming season. First up they must navigate the draft, which is the primary within the JJ Redick period. They maintain the No. 17 choose, however based on Jake Fisher of Yahoo!, the workforce is keen to commerce it if they will purchase a “important contributor.”
A commerce is sensible as a result of clearly they wished a contributor, but additionally as a result of they have not had nice luck with the draft these days. That is truly the second straight yr they maintain No. 17. Final yr they took Jalen Hood-Schifino who ended up showing in simply 21 video games as a rookie and scored a grand whole of 34 factors. If they will take the identical choose and switch it into somebody like Jerami Grant or Jonas Valanciunas, that is a no brainer.
Going again additional the Lakers earlier first spherical choose was Isiah Jackson who was despatched to the Indiana Pacers as a part of the five-team Russell Westbrook deal every week after the 2021 draft. So it isn’t like buying and selling a draft choose for a confirmed asset at all times works out both.
The yr earlier than that the Lakers took Jaden McDaniels with No. 28 and instantly despatched him with Danny Inexperienced to Oklahoma Metropolis in change for Dennis Schroeder. Whereas Schroeder contributed that season, the Lakers most likely want that they had stored Daniels who has was an awesome defender and stable contributor for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In accordance with Fisher, the Lakers may additionally commerce down with the choose. The New York Knicks and Utah Jazz have been talked about as two groups with decrease picks that might be mixed in a deal to maneuver as much as No. 17. By shifting down and including one other choose the Lakers may then justify taking Bronny James, who nearly nobody expects to be drafted in the midst of the primary spherical.
So that they have lots of choices. They simply want to choose the best one and hope it is sufficient to get them out of the play-in event and again into competition.