Lakers have the best trade assets in the NBA, per league exec
By Mike Luciano
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been able to make tons of upgrades to the roster this offseason, as whatever additions they would have liked to make have been hampered by the lack of draft picks and resources available to Rob Pelinka. The best they could do was sign cheap free agents.
Having been unable to move off Russell Westbrook’s contract or trade some of their recent draft picks following the Anthony Davis move, all LA did was sign rehabilitation projects like Lonnie Walker or cheaper vets like Juan Toscano-Anderson and call it a day.
The Lakers could try to pilfer names like Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, and Jordan Clarkson from the Jazz, but Danny Ainge will need to be interested in first-round picks that are half-decade in the future to make something happen. Luckily, it appears as though the league is collectively interested in getting those picks from LA.
According to Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, the feeling around the NBA is that the Lakers have two of the most prized assets in the league thanks to their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. If the Lakers are serious about contending, those picks will need to be moved for an impact player.
The Lakes have some interest, I'm told, in the Jazz vets who could be traded (Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic). But the Lakers also want to preserve cap space for next summer and aren't that interested in taking contracts beyond 2022-23. Bogdanovic on expiring.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) September 2, 2022
Will the Lakers pull off a big trade with their first-round picks?
The Jazz have three players who could help LA right now. Bogdanovic is a veteran sniper that will help improve LA’s offensive picture, Clarkson is a ready-made bucket-getter with experience playing both in LA and alongside LeBron James, and Conley is still a viable starting point guard.
The Lakers locked up James for the next few years, meaning they need to go all-out in pursuit of getting LeBron his fifth championship ring. Rob Pelinka should be heralded for his aggression early in James’ tenure, but some of his recent moves left the lakers boxed in.
The Davis trade has made it almost impossible for the Lakers to swing trades that can either offload Westbrook or improve the roster. Considering that LA could be mired in play-in anonymity for years to come if one of the superstars takes a step back, these picks could be even more valuable.
Utah still has coveted veteran trade asserts, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley Jr. They'll approach an Oklahoma City-esque haul of draft assets once they're done dealing. Jazz consider Markkanen, Sexton and Agbaji keepers for their rebuilding roster.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022
The Lakers are almost assuredly not done making moves yet, as either making a trade with Utah or scouring the rumor mill for role players remain viable paths to take. Those 2027 and 2029 picks could earn quite a pretty penny in talks, and it’s incumbent on Pelinka not to get fleeced when making a move.
