Lakers: Options aplenty with another No. 2 pick in their pocket

With the draft lottery concluded, the Los Angeles Lakers can turn their attention squarely on continuing their rebuild.

The suspense is over. For the third consecutive year, the Los Angeles Lakers will have the second pick in the NBA draft. Now the spotlight will shift sharply onto the new Magic Johnson-Rob Pelinka regime, and we will see exactly what steps they take towards rebuilding the franchise.

The first question everyone is asking is who the Lakers will select with that pick on June 22. Along with that, fans want to know who the team will pursue in free agency and what trades they might make.

But before any decisions are made, let’s take a peek at the returning roster. These are the nine players under contract for next season:

Guards: D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson
Forwards: Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., Luol Deng and Corey Brewer
Centers: Timofey Mozgov and Ivica Zubac

The team holds options on both C Tarik Black and G David Nwaba. Nick Young has a player option. And there are three unrestricted free agents F Metta World Peace (who said he was told he will not be invited back next season) F Thomas Robinson and G Tyler Ennis.

Black played well this season, but the Lakers may choose to go elsewhere for a backup center rather than pay his $6.6 million tab.

Nwaba seemed to impress both the coaches and front office and may be the hustle guy that every team needs. The team will likely exercise his option of only $1.3 million.

Young probably won’t exercise his option, thereby becoming an unrestricted free agent. It remains to be seen whether he will return.

Robinson, an aggressive rebounder, is not a bad end-of-the-bench player. Ennis was reasonably impressive as a backup point guard and may draw interest elsewhere.

As a ramification of retaining their first-round pick, the Lakers will lose that pick to the Philadelphia 76ers next year and will also lose second-round picks this year (33rd overall pick in the draft) and in 2018 to Orlando.

But in the Lou Williams trade, the team picked up Houston’s first-rounder this year, the 28th overall pick.

So the bottom line is that, barring any trades, the team has nine players signed plus two draftees, the possibility of returning one or more other players (some combination of Nwaba, Black, Young, Robinson and Ennis) along with a couple of potential free-agent signees.

By sheer numbers, it seems that the team’s biggest need is in the backcourt. So with the second pick of the draft, their choices are:

Select either Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball, whichever is available, with the idea of pairing him in the backcourt with Russell and using Clarkson as the sixth man.
Select Fultz or Ball and trade Russell or Clarkson (perhaps as part of a package deal for Paul George).
Trade the pick for an established star (once again, potentially George).
Move in a different direction by drafting someone else, perhaps F Josh Jackson, F Jayson Tatum or one of the Kentucky guards, De’Aaron Fox or Malik Monk. This might be accomplished by trading down a few spots in the draft.

As for prospective free agents, Magic recently indicated that he didn’t think the team would try to make a splashy signing this year, instead focusing on the class of 2018. But he wouldn’t be the first sports executive to change his mind.

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It is no secret that there is mutual interest between the Lakers and George. He is under contract for one more year at $19.3 million. The Pacers will, at the very least, consider trade offers so they can get something in return now rather than risk being left empty-handed if he departs in a year.

George is an All-Star, one of the league’s top 20 players. The big question is how much would the Lakers have to give up (or be willing to trade) now for a lame-duck star if they have no guarantee of signing him beyond next season.

Should they instead wait, keep their roster intact and try to sign him in a year, or is that approach too risky?

Will another team step up to the plate? For example, would the Celtics offer Indiana a package that includes the No. 1 pick in the draft? And if they do trade for him, would George like the atmosphere there (and the additional money) to re-sign with them?

Over the next few months, between the draft, free agency and possible trades, the off-season promises to be quite intriguing for Lakers fans. And it will give everyone a close-up view of how Johnson and Pelinka intend to shape the roster.

Next: What No. 2 Pick Means For Lakers

Who do you think they should draft and what other moves should they make?

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