The day of the 2024 NBA Draft is finally here and the Los Angeles Lakers will have some interesting decisions to make. They currently own the No. 17 overall pick in the first round and No. 55 overall pick in the second round, although that can always change with trades being a possibility.
The Lakers have typically been active on draft day either buying picks in the second round or trading picks for win-now veterans. One other option that seems to be in play for the Lakers this year is trading up from 17.
According to Dan Woike of the L.A. Times, the Lakers have interest in trading up to draft Devin Carter or Ja’Kobe Walter, or they could also stay put and draft Tristan da Silva or Yves Missi:
Some rival executives believe the Lakers could be aggressive in moving up in the first round. Two players they like, Providence’s Devin Carter and Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter, are expected to be picked ahead of No. 17.
If the Lakers stay at 17, Colorado forward Tristan da Silva and Baylor center Yves Missi are among the options.
In a recent mock draft by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Lakers traded up to 11 to draft Carter. Here is what that package would look like and why Vecenie feels it can be possible:
(Potential Trade Details: Chicago trades No. 11 to Lakers for No. 17, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and two future second round picks)
No potential lottery selection has helped themselves more throughout the pre-draft process than Carter. He’s taken an “anywhere, anytime” approach to workouts, feeling confident he can measure up to the best players in the class. Like Jaime Jaquez Jr. last season, Carter is an older prospect who has shown up in front of teams and given anyone he’s faced difficulty with his athleticism, elite defense and work rate. League sources have also touted him as leaving one of the strongest impressions in pre-draft interviews.
The Lakers also had Carter in for a workout, and league sources said the team was impressed with him. He’d be able to help the team from day one and form a long-term backcourt partnership with Austin Reaves. Jumping six spots up the board would require real assets, which the Lakers have in short supply. In this hypothetical, they trade Jalen Hood-Schifino, their first rounder last year, and two future second-round picks to get it done.
If the Lakers are gonna give up assets to trade up for someone like Carter then they better be confident that he is someone who can contribute right away. The Lakers cannot afford to keep the pick and draft another project as they did with Jalen Hood-Schifino a year ago.
Regardless, with only a few hours until the draft, everything seems to be on the table for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers.
Lakers likely to keep first-round pick
Recent reports have indicated that the Lakers plan on keeping their first-round pick. While trading up or trading down are possibilities, it does not seem that trading the pick entirely for a veteran is on the table for L.A.
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