We know that the Lakers like to build through trades and free agency, not the draft. Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis are just a few of the many players who found the allure of Tinseltown too appealing to pass up.
The one downside to attracting innumerable stars seemingly at will? The team is usually good and often great. That leads to middling draft picks, at best, such as this year’s 17th pick. The further back in the draft you are, the fewer game-changers there are to be found… but like big fish and high school girlfriends, there’s always one that got away.
The Lakers also had three straight second-overall picks in the middle of the last decade. Would they have made the same choices with the benefit of hindsight? (Spoilers: no.)
Let’s go through a silly (but hopefully fun!) exercise. What if the Lakers had absolutely nailed every first-round draft pick they’ve had in the last decade? Obviously, the butterfly effects are impossible to predict; if they’d drafted better in 2014, maybe they wouldn’t struggle in 2017 and end up with another second pick.
But in the dog days of summer, after the draft but before the excitement of summer league, it’s okay to let our minds drift on some pleasant daydreams.
There are universes out there where the Lakers are in the midst of another dynasty anchored by any of a number of different stars. Let’s go through the last decade to see what the Lakers did right and what they could’ve done differently with their first-round picks in the NBA draft.
Lakers actual 2014 pick: Julius Randle; Should have been: Nikola Jokic
If we’re going to dream, we’re going to dream big.
The Lakers didn’t have a first-round pick in 2013, so Randle came in with high expectations. Unfortunately, he broke his tibia in his very first NBA game. That injury caused him to miss the rest of his rookie year. He fully recovered, but despite his voracious rebounding, Randle struggled with bringing consistent effort and efficiency. He lasted four intriguing-but-frustrating seasons before the Lakers decided to cut bait, letting Randle enter unrestricted free agency.
Of course, if the Lakers had drafted Jokic in 2014, the league’s entire history would need to be rewritten. It’s unlikely that LeBron comes, for one, and who knows what sort of supporting cast the oft-perplexed Lakers management would’ve put around Jokic.
But Jokic can make lemonade from cow pies and could’ve been the anchor for the next great Lakers dynasty. Mikan, Kareem, Shaq, and Jokic…
The only consolation: 28 other teams made the same mistake, many of them multiple times. And Randle has become a two-time All-NBA player (even if he is someone teams seem plenty fine with unloading), which is better than the average #7 pick. It’s just unfortunate that he blossomed for someone else.
Lakers’ actual 2015 pick: D’Angelo Russell; Should have been: Devin Booker
The Lakers took the wrong combo guard here.
Russell today is still remarkably similar to Russell as a rookie: a space-cadet defender, limited athlete, streaky shooter, and baffling decision-maker. His biggest rookie-year story had nothing to do with his on-court play, either, as he accidentally (?) outed Nick Young for cheating on his then-fiance, Iggy Azalea.
However, in 2017, Russell was shipped to Brooklyn for Brook Lopez and a pick that turned into Kyle Kuzma. This trade was critical to the Lakers’ eventual title run, so it’s hard to be too upset.
Russell made one All-Star game as the lead dog on a funky, overachieving 2019 Nets squad that shockingly made the playoffs. But his resume pales in comparison to a similar player taken nearly a dozen picks later.
Have you heard the hypothetical “Would you…” about the murderous snail? If you accept 10,000,000 dollars, you’re constantly hunted for the rest of your life by an immortal, poisonous snail that will never stop dogging your trail.
Devin Booker is a lot like that snail. He’s kind of icky, but he’s a stone-cold killer. The rest of the league has been desperately trying to stay ahead of him, but Booker has been slowly, painstakingly catching up — improving his passing one season, leveling up his defense another, fine-tuning his shot the next.
Playoff Booker was an absolute force this year before he was injured. He’s the closest thing the league has to prime Kobe Bryant right now: a vicious shotmaker and competitor who is always in the lab honing his next weapon. He’d have looked royal in purple and gold. Le sigh.
Bonus: The Lakers had a second first-round selection in 2015, #27, which they turned into Larry Nance. Nance was a fine pick, although a few players selected after him might’ve made even better Lakers: Kevon Looney (the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon in the playoffs) went #30, and scoring guard Norm Powell went in the middle of the second round.
Lakers’ actual 2016 pick: Brandon Ingram; should have been: Brandon Ingram
The Lakers nailed this one, if not for the reasons they might have thought. Several players of comparable value to Ingram were picked later, such as Jaylen Brown, Jamal Murray, Domantas Sabonis, and Pascal Siakam. Some of those players have likely surpassed Ingram in the league’s hierarchy. But Ingram blossomed the quickest, which was very important for the Lakers.
Ingram had a tentative first year as he adjusted to NBA physicality. Still, he became nearly a 20-point scorer by his junior year in the league, showing flashes of solid playmaking and defense. The fit next to new teammate LeBron wasn’t perfect, but there had been some encouraging signs.
But James isn’t known for his patience. When Anthony Davis became available to the Lakers, Ingram became the headliner (along with other picks and players, including a guy we’re about to talk about) in the trade package to New Orleans.
The Lakers could likely have done the trade even without Ingram, but given his solid trade value at the time, they may have had to pony up even more assets. And without Davis, there’s likely no championship in 2020.
As Brian Windhorst likes to say, you never have to apologize when you win a championship. Ingram’s various injuries have slowed his ascension (he’s only cracked 63 games in a season once, his rookie year), and he’s regressed on the defensive end. Trading Ingram in a package for AD is a trade the Lakers would do every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Lakers actual 2017 pick: Lonzo Ball; Should have been: Jayson Tatum
Whoo boy. This one hurts.
The selection of Ball (which seemed willed into existence by Lonzo’s chatterbox father) was not without merit. Ball promised to be a multipositional defender, excellent rebounder, unselfish passer, and good-enough shooter.
He showed almost all that in his rookie season (although the three-point shot took a few years to develop), but he also showed his eventual undoing: an inability to stay healthy. He’s never delivered on the star hopes people had for him, but he’s become one of the best role players in the league — when he plays.
Ball has suited up for 50, 45, 54, 55, 35, and 0 games in his NBA seasons. His two healthiest years were the two cut short by the pandemic. It’s a bummer for someone who seems like a genuinely good dude.
The Lakers, however, traded him after his second year, along with Ingram and others, for AD, and we know how that turned out. Between Ingram and Ball’s health, it’s hard to say that the Lakers made the wrong choice. But they could’ve made an even better one: drafting Jayson Tatum.
Tatum has a longstanding obsession with Kobe Bryant and reportedly hoped to be a Laker before they chose local legend Ball. Boston executive Danny Ainge coveted Tatum, and knowing that the Lakers would choose Ball, traded the #1 overall pick (which ended up being Markelle Fultz; at least the Lakers dodged that bullet) to Philadelphia to get his man Tatum at #3.
Tatum, of course, has become one of the faces of the league. The Celtics are perennial conference finalists thanks to the do-everything wing, who is starting to garner MVP votes.
If you thought Booker would’ve looked good in Lakers colors, imagine how Tatum, who sports a Kobe Bryant tattoo and was exceptionally close to the Los Angeles icon before his untimely passing, would’ve shined. He’s the one player who might make Lakers fans re-think whether the Anthony Davis trade would’ve been worth it.
Lakers’ actual 2018 pick: Mo Wagner; Should have been: Jalen Brunson
The 2018 draft will go down as one of the best in history. The top-end talent speaks for itself: Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges, Michael Porter Jr., and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were all lottery picks.
But there was a load of ability in the back end of the draft, too. Wagner is a guy; he does basketball things on occasion. But the Lakers could’ve had numerous other, better players. If they needed a big, Robert Williams was selected just two picks later (by the Celtics, again!), and Mitchell Robinson went in the second round.
Tweener forward Jarred Vanderbilt could’ve been had years earlier than in reality. Nuggets ace sixth man Bruce Brown was on the board, as were quality rotation guards De’Anthony Melton and Shake Milton.
But Jalen Brunson, picked #33, would’ve been a perfect fit for the Lakers. Even though the 2018-19 Lakers had several solid backcourt options (Ball, Rajon Rondo, Reggie Bullock, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and more), Brunson is comfortable playing either guard position and flexible enough to fill an abundance of roles.
We’ve seen Brunson get better and better throughout his career, and his offensive flexibility and crafty, stutter-steppy game would’ve been a perfect fit next to LeBron when he gained more experience.
Late first-rounders are always a flier; it’s hard to fault the Lakers for missing here. But given the quality still available, it’s a disappointing outcome.
2020: Lakers traded pick 28 (Jaden McDaniels); Should have been: Desmond Bane
The Lakers’ 2019 first-round pick was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, where the team then flipped that selection for more picks so the Atlanta Hawks could take DeAndre Hunter.
Darius Garland, the whimsical point guard for the Cavs, went #5. Tyler Herro went #13. (Future Laker Rui Hachimura went #9 but didn’t live up to that billing while in Washington.)
This draft did have a run of solid players selected late. From 28 to 31, the picks were Jordan Poole, Keldon Johnson, Kevin Porter Jr., and Nic Claxton, but none of those guys are worth not trading for Anthony Davis.
Onto the 2020 draft…
McDaniels is turning into a superb player in Minnesota and may very well end up being the best available player at this spot. But the Lakers traded him on draft day for Dennis Schroder in an attempt to bolster the champions’ backcourt as they tried to repeat.
McDaniels is now one of the best defenders in the league and an improving offensive player who doesn’t need plays run for him to make an impact. Interestingly, however, he had a rep as a bit of a ballstopper and an offensive-first player coming into the draft, which would not have made him a great fit for the Lakers at that time.
You know who would’ve been terrific from Day 1? Desmond Bane, drafted just two picks later with the final selection of the first round. (Bane was actually picked by the Celtics, too, but they immediately flipped him to the Grizzlies for a future pick).
Bane turns three-pointers into layup drills. He knocked down an astonishing 43% of his triples as a rookie and hasn’t slowed down since. Although he’s not the fastest guy, he’s one of the few NBA players who could take LeBron in an arm-wrestling match, and his strength allows him to hold up on defense.
Los Angeles management has struggled to find reliable shooting to put around LeBron for most of his tenure. Bane would’ve been exactly what the doctor ordered, and he’s quickly becoming one of the best offensive guards in the league. While McDaniels may become the better player in a vacuum, Bane is a lab-created fit next to AD and LeBron.
What makes it worse is the fact that there were legitimate ties between Bane and the Lakers before the draft.
(Either of these players would’ve been more useful than Schroder.)
2021: Lakers traded pick 22 (Isaiah Jackson); Should have been: N/A
The 2021 draft was loaded with stars at the top, but it didn’t have too many surprises at the end. The Lakers selected Jackson and immediately included him in the trade for Russell Westbrook.
The Westbrook experiment was disastrous from the get-go in the most obvious and demoralizing ways, but once LeBron and co. made up their mind, it didn’t matter who was going to get picked here. They were all going to get traded.
Frankly, the Lakers didn’t miss out on too much. There are some rotation guys they could’ve had, including Jackson. Herb Jones is a beastly defender and the best player overall, but his iffy shooting would’ve made him a tough fit around James and Davis. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is a quality backup big. Ayo Dosunmo is a Swiss Army Knife for Chicago but doesn’t project to be better than an average starter, at best.
It’s hard to get too excited about anybody knowing they would never be a Laker, anyway.
The Lakers eventually were able to extricate themselves from Westbrook admirably, bringing in an array of role players who all contributed in varying degrees to Los Angeles’ late-season run and subsequent conference finals berth. Any opportunity cost is more about which star the Lakers could have had instead of Westbrook (would DeRozan have been a better fit?).
2022: No first-round pick for the Lakers
Couldn’t have done much better with this one!