Topic: The Lakers will have their first lottery pick since 2005. But if that pick falls outside of the top 5, should the Lakers trade the pick for other assets?
Context: The Lakers just went through arguably their worst season in the history of the franchise. But if there was a year to be bad, this was it as this year’s draft class is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory.
The Lakers have the sixth worst record in the league which gives them a 6.3 percent chance of the top pick, and a 21.5 percent chance of landing in the top three.
There is also a chance of the Lakers falling down a couple of spots in which case the Lakers may be looking at more of a project than an immediate contributor with their pick.
With the Lakers having only three players under contract for next season, and Kobe Bryant expecting an immediate turnaround, the Lakers will be under a lot of pressure to make some big moves.
Guys like Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and Joel Embiid could be franchise changers, and while you can get someone who can help, the chances of getting a big-time player at the eighth or ninth spot is significantly lower.
With a draft this deep, teams could be willing to give up some intriguing assets for a top-10 pick, so if the Lakers fail to get a top-5 pick, should they try to trade that pick?
Verdict: We went To twitter to ask the Lakers Nation faithful if the team should trade their first-round draft pick if it is not in the top five. Here are some of the responses:
@LakersNation @TheeCoreyH this draft is 8 picks deep. Keep the top 8 pick, grab Deng, then sign Love in 15, and a year later (KD Kyrie RW)
— AJ ⚽ Ray ⚽15 (@sensei_ray) April 19, 2014
@TheeCoreyH yeah if they can't get Exum, wiggins or Parker, they should trade down and get something in return
— MalikBMG (@LegendaryMW) April 19, 2014
@theecoreyh no way. With this deep draft they shouldn't trade the pick. Still could get Smart/Gordon/Vonleh, maybe Randle/Exum
— B4.DA.$$ (@NandoDuran_) April 19, 2014
@LakersNation @TheeCoreyH if LA could land Love or Kyrie for it, yes
— Steven S.O.G. Kirk (@StevenKirk_OH) April 19, 2014
The results of this question were almost split down the middle. Many are fine with the Lakers trading the pick in exchange for more immediate help, while others are quick to point out that there could still be quality players outside of the top five.
The main issue is that no one knows what the Lakers could get for that pick. If it’s an established star like Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love, the Lakers would probably do that in a second. But something like that is highly unlikely.
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Ultimately, I believe the Lakers should keep the pick regardless of where it lands. The team has an excellent track record when it comes to lottery picks with the last one being Andrew Bynum, a key part of the last two championship teams.
Guys like Damian Lillard, Paul George, and Stephen Curry have all been taken in the back-half of the top-10 in recent years and there could be some diamonds in the rough in this draft.
If they want a point guard, Marcus Smart and Tyler Ennis could be available. If they want a big, Aaron Gordon or Noah Vonleh could be there as well. At the end of the day there are too many options for the Lakers to not bring in a new player in this draft, in my opinion.
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Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak On NBA Draft, No. 1 Pick And Trading The Pick