Lake Show Life
Fansided

3 Offseason tasks the Lakers should already be working on

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 19: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic during the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 19, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 19: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic during the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 19, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Kris Murray Lakers
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) – Kris Murray Lakers /

3. Create a shortlist of prospects for the 2023 NBA Draft

It feels foreign but the Los Angeles Lakers are actually going to have a first-round pick to use in the 2023 NBA Draft! The Lakers have not drafted a prospect in the first round of the NBA Draft since 2018 when the team took Moritz Wagner with the 25th overall pick.

Of course, there is a chance that the Lakers could trade their first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Los Angeles gets the worse of either its own pick or the New Orleans Pelicans’ pick and as it stands right now, the lottery odds are nearly identical for the two picks. It might only be one pick apart.

The team did this in 2020 when it flipped its first-round pick alongside Danny Green to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Dennis Schroder. At this rate, it would be better for LA to actually use its first-round pick to bring in more young talent.

It appears that the Lakers will either make the play-in or sneak into the NBA Playoffs as the sixth seed at best. Realistically, we should expect Los Angeles to pick between the 13th and 18th pick.

While the team is not going to be able to land a cream-of-the-crop prospect this late in the draft, there is still a lot of potential talent available and there always could be a diamond in the rough. Rob Pelinka should be watching the NCAA Tournament and scouting tape just as much as he is watching LA chase a playoff spot right now.

Next. Lakers all-time draft bust starting five. dark

But who knows, the team will probably end up flipping someone with the pick for a marginal improvement that doesn’t end up working out.

Home/Lakers News