The Los Angeles Lakers went into the second night of the 2026 NBA Draft without any picks, but that doesn’t mean talent can’t still be added to the organization.
There is always the option of buying or trading for second round picks, and then the team will also of course add undrafted talent as well.
Before the second round of the draft played out, it appears the Lakers found some prospects that were worth trading back in for as they are acquiring the No. 56 overall pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for cash considerations, per Shams Charania of ESPN:
Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring No. 56 from the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the NBA draft tonight at 8 pm ET on ESPN. Lakers sent cash to the Bulls to get a pick tonight.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2026
The Lakers have found success trading into the second round in the past, notably doing so with Max Christie and Adou Thiero, among others. They have also found some undrafted free agent gems with Austin Reaves of course being the most notable.
In a world where teams are capped on how much they can spend under the new NBA CBA, finding cheap talent is extremely important, and the Lakers are well aware of that.
Depending on how much cash the Lakers gave up in this trade with the Bulls, they may be able to send more cash and continue moving up in the second round as the draft plays out if there is one particular player they like that is falling.
While it remains to be seen how things will play out, the Lakers are back in the mix with a pick in the second round.
Lakers traded up to draft Cameron Carr in first round
The Lakers were active on the first night of the NBA Draft as well as they went into it with the 25th overall pick. They wound up trading up one spot with the New York Knicks, using cash considerations to acquire the 24th pick, which they used to draft Cameron Carr out of Baylor.
The reviews on the Carr pick have been strong as he is an athletic wing with an exceptional wing span and shooting ability.
Because they traded cash to move up, the Lakers are hard capped at the second apron of the salary cap, although that shouldn’t end up mattering considering how much space they have under the apron.
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