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Lakers Rumors: No. 2 pick in 2017 NBA Draft being shopped

By Kenneth Teape

Sep 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Magic Johnson in attendance during the first half of a NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Magic Johnson in attendance during the first half of a NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: There is still a chance that the Lakers move the second overall pick, as they are taking and making trade calls.

Los Angeles Lakers rumors continue to pop up with the 2017 NBA Draft quickly approaching. The Lakers will be selecting No. 2 and No. 28 overall in the draft.

There has been a lot of attention given to the second overall pick. It seems like the Lakers are down to deciding between UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball and Kansas forward Josh Jackson. But, there is still a chance that the Lakers do not even make the selection.

According to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, a source said that the Lakers are not only taking calls for the second pick but making calls as well.

The story since the Lakers landed the second overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery has been that Ball would be the Lakers selection. But as time has gone on, that seems to have not been the case. Yes, there is a chance the Lakers still select Ball. But, there are a lot of alternatives to selecting Ball, such as picking another prospect or making a deal involving the pick.

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This is not the first time that trading the selection has been mentioned. Back in May, general manager Rob Pelinka talked to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Pelinka mentioned it would not be an easy task to trade a top draft pick given the astronomical asking price.

"“The probabilities are quite low at the one or two [draft spots],” Pelinka said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t explore it. But this pick has extraordinary value.”"

Pelinka is right about that. In a draft class as talented as this one, a team could turn things around rather quickly with a top pick. There are two players that are considered top tier prospects; Ball and Washington point guard Markelle Fultz.

Since ESPN’s Chad Ford started doing the tiers in 2009, only six players were in the top tier. They have all found pretty good success thus far in their NBA careers, as Blake Griffin, John Wall, Anthony Davis, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jabari Parker all landed there.

That is quite a success rate for tier one prospects. Passing on the chance to select one of those players will not be easy. But, there are some packages that may get the Lakers attention.

Acquiring an already established star player, an All-Star at worst should be the minimum when trading a pick in a draft with tier one prospects. For example, a trade involving Paul George. Would the Lakers be willing to trade for George on draft night knowing that they could sign him next offseason when he becomes a free agent?

Next: Full First Round 2017 NBA Mock Draft

The Lakers are going to have a big decision to make come draft night. There are a number of different directions they could head in. Ultimately the best decision could be keeping the selection and adding another young player to the roster to make the team more attractive to potential free agents. Having a foundation in place is better than cleaning out a roster to acquire George or another player in a trade.

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