2. There is more legit and proven talent at the top.
This might seem like a no-brainer statement, but this is not always the case. Every draft class has a different landscape and this year’s class is one that benefits teams in the early portion and the second round. Being caught in the middle is a rough territory with not many bonafide NBA contributors at the ready.
The landscape of this draft mixed in with the teams actually comprising the lottery makes this an easier path to travel for the Lakers. It might not be a popular one or even one that is explored internally by the Lakers, but I believe it should be looked at.
Collegiate athletes like USC big man Onyeka Okongwu, Dayton forward Obi Toppin, and forward Aleksej Pokusevski can reasonably be had in a trade-up scenario and all three could be difference-makers on a Lakers squad that is fresh off a title run.
Speaking of a title run, the Lakers did it with a largely ‘older’ roster of experienced veterans. Alex Caruso and Anthony Davis were somehow young compared to the rest of the roster, but in this scenario, injecting some youth into the Lakers’ roster could help.
How better to develop a young player than to have them learn from two of the top five players in the NBA in Anthony Davis and LeBron James?