The NBA season is approaching and everyone is waiting to see what the LA Lakers will do. If they want any chance to upgrade their roster, that could mean parting with their 2027 and 2029 first picks.
For months, these options have become a major topic of discussion. The Lakers were already connected to many players, but were still reluctant to part ways with their draft capital. This continues to be the biggest barrier to implementing any form of agreement.
In a recent episode of “intersection‘ podcast, NBA insider Howard Beck mentioned the Lakers and their picks. He said the main office was told they weren’t allowed to use them in trading.
“And I heard rumblings – and they’re just rumours, so I don’t want people to go too far with this or go crazy with synthesis – but some people around the federation have told me in recent weeks that they believe the front office has essentially been told not to trade picks, that they are protecting those picks.” Beck said.
Currently, the LA Lakers (16-21) are in 13th place at the Western Conference. It’s also worth pointing out that Anthony Davis is still sidelined indefinitely with a leg injury.
Should the LA Lakers move their draft picks in a trade this year?
Given the team’s current outlook, it’s no surprise that the LA Lakers want to keep picks. Even with LeBron James are competing at a high level, their chances of competing are slim. Anthony Davis had a brief stint at the MVP level, but it ended due to injury. With the Western Conference being held this season, the Lakers need more additions to really fit back in.
Making a major move until another season isn’t great, but the Lakers don’t have much of a choice. One of their top players continues to be injured, and the supporting cast is the most problematic. It makes no sense for LA to give up draft capital just to enter the play-in tournament.
At this point, it’s better for the Lakers to just wait until the season to upgrade. With Russell Westbrookcontract is coming to an end, they will have a lot of limited space at their disposal. This will allow them to improve the talent around their All-Star duo.
A lot can happen between now and the trade deadline, but it doesn’t look like there’s a big move for the Lakers.
