Lakers might be interested in buying a second-round pick for this prospect

The Los Angeles Lakers do not have a single pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The team traded its first-round pick in the Anthony Davis trade, which turned into the eighth overall pick in the draft for the New Orleans Pelicans. Los Angeles traded its second-round pick in a 2019 deal to the Washington Wizards that essentially just freed up cap space to get Anthony Davis. That pick now belongs to the San Antonio Spurs.

However, the Lakers can still get a pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, albeit it won’t be a first-rounder. There is a popular practice in the NBA of “buying” second-round picks. Teams that don’t have the roster spot or want to commit the money to a rookie they are not interested in will pawn off their second-round pick for a future asset.

That is exactly how the team got Talen Horton-Tucker. Los Angeles could do the same thing in this draft, especially considering the team has two second-round picks next year. All LA needs to do is trade a second-round pick and kick some cash a team’s way and they can “buy” a second-rounder.

The Lakers might end up doing this to draft Izaiah Brockington.

The Lakers were named as a team with reported interest in guard Izaiah Brockington and as a prospect, Brockington makes a ton of sense for the Lakers. He is projected to be a late second-round pick with NBADraft.Net ranking him as the 54th prospect in the draft.

Part of the intrigue around Brockington is his age, which naturally lowers his position on big boards but makes him more valuable to a team like the Lakers. Brockington will be 23 before the 2022-23 season begins, which is quite old for an NBA Draft prospect. For comparison’s sake, Luka Doncic will also be 23 years old at the start of the 2021-22 season.

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While that limits his potential as a prospect, it means that Brockington is more of a refined player and can contribute right away in the NBA. Think about Kyle Kuzma. He came in as a senior and instantly produced as one of the best rookies in his class. However, his ceiling since then has not been much higher than his year one impact.

With very few ways to get assets this offseason getting a cheap and still young asset like Brockington who can contribute right away would be fantastic for the Lakers. He could essentially replace Avery Bradley to give the team combo-guard depth.

He shot 36.2% from beyond the arc last season while averaging 16.9 points per game. He is not an elite playmaker or anything but he is the definition of a hustle player who will play good defense and make things happen with his athleticism and physicality.

As far as we are concerned, landing Brockington in the 2022 NBA Draft would be a home run for the Los Angeles Lakers.