The Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to utilize every roster-building tool possible this offseason as the team looks to rebound from losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to winning another championship with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
There are going to be a lot of moving parts this offseason and Rob Pelinka is going to be tasked with improving the team while losing existing pieces yet again. This offseason is going to look very similar to last offseason.
One thing that could be different this offseason is the Lakers having a draft pick. Last year, the Lakers traded the 28th overall pick in the draft alongside Danny Green to acquire Dennis Schroder. This year, the Lakers have the 22nd overall pick in the draft and it seems less likely that they will trade it away.
Unless the team can make a big move for someone such as Mike Conley, of course.
The first round is not the only time to get talent for the Lakers, though. The team is elite in finding late draft gems that turn into rotation players in the NBA. Sometimes, they even trade into the second round to get someone who they really like, such as Talen Horton-Tucker.
Could the Los Angeles Lakers repeat history and trade into the second round?
Anything is possible and if there is a prospect that the Lakers really like and a team that is willing to trade their second-round pick away then the Lakers could strike. They could get that second-round pick for an existing asset, such as Alfonzo McKinnie, or could flip it for a future second-round pick, as they did with THT.
Regardless, it has to be the right player and it won’t just be for anyone. Here are three intriguing prospects that the Lakers could be eyeballing in the second round.