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Los Angeles Lakers: 3 reasons why LA should trade up in the NBA Draft

By Daniel Preciado

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 07: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers looks on during a game against the George Washington Colonials at UD Arena on March 7, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - MARCH 07: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers looks on during a game against the George Washington Colonials at UD Arena on March 7, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

The Los Angeles Lakers should trade up in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Los Angeles Lakers may be out of the lottery for the first time in a while, but that doesn’t mean the draft will not be an interesting time for the front office.

Yes, the Lakers did not make their fourth overall selection last season, instead trading the rights to it for Anthony Davis, but they were still involved in the 2019 Draft. This season, they possess the 28th overall pick of the first round, their only pick of the entire draft.

While this class is not the most headline-grabbing of any in past seasons, there is still a plethora of talented young men up for grabs. Any member of the prospective top-10 could wind up as an NBA superstar and it would not be the least bit surprising.

For example, Dayton power forward Obi Toppin was one of the most electrifying players in college hoops last season and might wind up going around 10th overall or slightly before.

There are a lot of intriguing prospects this season and while there are none that particularly stand out as generational talents among the likes of guys like Zion Williamson, it doesn’t matter. This especially factors in for the Lakers in this draft.

Most teams understand that the back end of the lottery is not that much different than the back end of the first round this season and will likely devalue their own picks because of it. This opens it up for the Lakers to make a move no one will see coming — moving up in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Your first question might be “Why would the Lakers move up in the draft if they just won the title?”. While this is more than a justified response, it is precisely the reason why the Lakers should look to move up for a variety of reasons that I will outline. The Lakers need cheap talent and they need it NBA-ready right now.

This draft class is unique in the way that there are a lot of surefire NBA role players that can be had. The Lakers are likely eyeballing the cream of the crop at this juncture and in order to secure one of the men they are taking a hard look, moving up is the best option. It will not cost as much as it usually would, either.

With a lack of future draft assets, more proven talent at the top of the NBA Draft, and no immediate roster needs that would require them dealing their first-round pick, the Lakers can get wild. The best move is always the one your opponents do not see coming, right?

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