Basketball

The Lakers’ Updated Plan for First-Round Pick in Upcoming Draft

It appears as if the Lakers are taking a look at buying and selling their quantity 17 decide in Thursday’s NBA draft.

“…there is an increasing likelihood they trade it Thursday,” The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported on Tuesday. 

One NBA author has proposed the Lakers ought to use their decide to make a intelligent transfer to land a veteran level guard.

“If Pelinka makes the draft-day deal and comes away with somebody like DeMar DeRozan or Buddy Hield, he could then look toward Washington to add the icing,” Yahoo Sports’ Bill Plaschke wrote.

“That would be Chris Paul.

“Wouldn’t that be sweet? The point guard who was once denied entry to Lakerland by late Commissioner David Stern finally busting down the gates in the final moments of his career?”

A deal between the Lakers and the Jazz might be even be viable as Utah have the quantity 9, 16 and 28 picks and loads of future firsts.

Trading down for a number of picks would make sense for the franchise and with new CBA guidelines coming into play, buying cheaper roster spots could also be a key to success.

It is not any secret the purple and gold want to offload Malik Beasley’s wage ($16.5 million) and Mo Bamba’s $10.3 million wage to get a talented addition like Myles Turner or Dorian Finney-Smith.

If LA have been to maintain their decide, 19-year-old Dereck Lively is projected to be quantity 17 in many mock drafts.

“The 7-foot-1 center uses his 7-foot-7 wingspan and elite athleticism and mobility well on the defensive end, emerging as one of college basketball’s best rim protectors and defenders in the second half of last season,” Buha says.

“…Most importantly, the 19-year-old possesses the type of relentless motor that has come to define the most successful Lakers role players during the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era. Under Davis’ tutelage, Lively could eventually develop into a DeAndre Jordan-type with better shooting range and more defensive upside.”

Bring on NBA Draft day!

READ MORE: Warriors Still Interested in Chris Paul: Report


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