Lakers Draft 2016: 5 Players Worth Trading No. 2 Pick For

4. Brook Lopez

When you look at the 2016 NBA Draft and the landscape of the NBA, one of the things that it seems not nearly enough people around the league are talking about is the situation that the Brooklyn Nets are in. They’re still dealing with the after-effects of the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce acquisitions as the Boston Celtics got what should have been their No. 3 overall pick. Considering how bad they were last year and their lack of picks, though, the Nets might be willing to make a move.

If the Nets are willing to make a move, the Lakers should undoubtedly make a call and inquire about Brook Lopez. Lopez, when healthy, has shown time and again that he can be a substantially effective NBA center. He has more offensive ability as a big man than most of his peers in the league and also can rack up rebounds—even with his lackluster defense being part of the picture.

The most enticing prospect regarding Lopez, though, is the fact that the Nets might be more willing than most other teams to make a trade for not too substantial of a package. Whereas most teams would require big pieces in addition to the No. 2 pick to lure away a star player, the Nets could be so desperate to add players for their future and trade into the draft that they don’t require quite as many assets. For a player of Lopez’s talents, that makes this a curious option at the very least.

Next: No. 3 Kevin Love