The NBA Draft is set for a major overhaul during this offseason. With most reasonably anticipating rules changes to be approved this summer, draft picks are skyrocketing in their value. That bodes extremely well for the asset-starved Los Angeles Lakers.
Jake Fischer wrote in his latest intel round-up: "We continue to hear that the league's new '3-2-1' lottery system is expected to get the 23 votes needed from the 30 teams for the changes to be ratified."
The NBA insider added the implications being that teams are suddenly going to be much more hesitant with moving draft capital. For a team like the Lakers, who will have few choices but to trade picks for win-now players, those assets are quickly poised to have more value.
"Then you add in the uncertainty that stems from the fact that the vote on these lottery tweaks will only result in approval for a three-season test period," Fischer continued. "One general manager has already told me unequivocally: 'I'm not trading any picks beyond 2029."
It is tough to imagine that general manager being Rob Pelinka. Draft picks are at the forefront of the tools available to give Luka Doncic a championship-caliber team this offseason. Pelinka will have few alternatives, but to include those selections in negotiations. The good news there is they can now be sold at a premium instead of a discount.
Lakers' willingness to dangle draft picks could separate them from rest of the NBA
Where there is scarcity, and there is still demand, a resource becomes much more valuable in the process. If other general managers are hesitant to include draft picks in trades, those assets are suddenly going to be sought after.
Not only does that help the Lakers in the lack of asset department by allowing them to conduct business with fewer picks attached to one trade. It also helps in having over teams overlooking just exactly where those picks are going to land.
Any team featuring Doncic at the helm is not going to be expected to choose early in the NBA Draft. Those selections would be slated for the back half of the draft process. However, when there are few first-round picks going around, any are better than none. That's the added advantage for the Lakers.
It would be nice to think the Lakers could take their time in building around Doncic. To some capacity, patience will indeed be a necessity. Even with that being true, there is urgency to adjust course with Doncic in the immediate future.
Beggars cannot be choosers in the Lakers' case. They will need to fork over those prized picks to do their 180 on the roster. Thankfully for them, they have less reason to feel bad about that now if they can be used better than they would have projected to be just a few months ago.
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