The Los Angeles Lakers do not have a pick in the 2022 NBA Draft but that has not stopped the team from working out players and scouting for the draft. As predicted here at Lake Show Life months ago, the Lakers are reportedly in the market to buy a second-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
The method of buying a pick is simple. The Lakers must find a team that has no use for its second-round pick and either send cash considerations or more likely, a future second-round pick for this year’s pick. With the Lakers having two second-round picks in next year’s draft, a logical trade is a simple swapping of picks.
Earlier this offseason we broke down three teams that the Lakers could target for a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. However, there are two different teams who reportedly have picks that are available for the Lakers to buy this year.
Picks 44 and 46 are reportedly considered available for the Los Angeles Lakers to buy.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that picks 44 and 46 — belonging to the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons, respectively — are considered to be available in this year’s NBA Draft. This would be a good place for Rob Pelinka to buy a pick as it is not too late in the second round and the team could still likely land whoever they are targeting.
The Lakers bought a second-round pick back in the 2019 NBA Draft to take Talen Horton-Tucker with the 46th overall pick, so perhaps the Lakers are targeting pick 46 to make lightning strike twice. Regardless, the fact that picks are available this early in the process is great news for the Lakers.
Los Angeles needs to be targeting players who can help the team right away in year one with a potential second-round pick. While THT’s youth has been great, he has not really helped the team be successful much in his three seasons. LA needs someone who can help the team’s success right away.
Finding a player with more experience at the collegiate level is key to getting an instant impact. Sure, a 23-year-old coming out of college might not have the same ceiling as a 19-year-old but that 23-year-old can actually make a difference in year one.
The Lakers are reportedly interested in Izaiah Brockington, who checks all the boxes. He spent five years in college, will be 23 before the 2022-23 season starts, and is projected to be a mid-to-late second-round pick.
Regardless of who it is, we might now know where the team will be making a selection in the 2022 NBA Draft after all.