7. D’Antoni Ball
PF – Carmelo Anthony, C – Pau Gasol
It’s hard to imagine that Mike D’Antoni will be the head coach of the Lakers next season. While the reasoning is a whole other series of posts in itself, having D’Antoni at the helm doesn’t necessarily attract free agents. Specifically, he doesn’t have a good history with Carmelo Anthony, who may or may not be on the Lakers radar this summer. Outside of the realm of D’Antoni and Melo’s sour relationship, Melo would play the power forward, and we know how poor he is defensively. Pair him with Gasol and you have less defense than you did this season. Personally, that’s none too desirable.
8. A Bright Future
PF – Noah Vonleh, C – Greg Monroe
If the Lakers keep winning, a player like Noah Vonleh will become a more realistic pick than Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins. Vonleh is raw, but has loads of potential and would be a long-term project for the Lakers. Put him next to Greg Monroe, who himself is 24 years old, and you have the frontcourt of the future. While it might not please Kobe Bryant and his “win now” mentality, it would be a great move for the long-term for a franchise that has remained insistent that they’ll rebuild slowly.