Using a second-round pick as leverage to upgrade from Gabe Vincent to Luke Kennard was a great move. It should also have reminded Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers about just how valuable it can be to have those at the ready.
After the deadline-day trade for Kennard, they are fresh out of second rounders yet again. Their stock in that department was replenished this past offseason by getting a 2032 pick to use. That is the same selection that is on its way to the Atlanta Hawks in the move to get rid of Vincent.
Back to square one. The Lakers will get access to their 2033 draft capital once the new calendar year in the NBA commences. That would mean having a second-round pick to play around with again on the trade market. Although, technically, Los Angeles could dangle the assets a bit earlier. A deal involving those picks just wouldn't be officially finalized until the aforementioned time.
Regardless of that, with how many trades were fueled at this deadline by second-round draft capital, the memo should be clear to the Lakers. It's time to find a way to replenish your stash through whatever creative means are necessary in the offseason.
Pelinka can't retool around Luka Doncic without having second-round picks to work with
The value of second-rounders is up in the NBA. The reasoning can be debated — whether it's the harsh NBA CBA or the general talent pool being better in drafts — but that has been the case in asset management over recent seasons.
Yes, the Lakers have prioritized financial flexibility in free agency. That should allow them to get a lot of their work done. However, some big swings are just going to require that extra sweetener offered by a second rounder.
As things stand, after the Lakers inevitably send away their 2033 second-round pick, they will lack that tool entirely. That is why they can't just stand pat in this regard.
The Lakers could get creative here. Media and fans alike have floated the idea of poking around to see if any team would allow Los Angeles a couple of second-rounders in exchange for a first-round pick swap.
Another way to get a few second-round picks back into the mix would be to finally pull the plug on the Dalton Knecht experience. It's incredibly surprising that Knecht survived the deadline. If the Lakers can make that flip in the offseason, they should take it, for the sake of both parties involved.
The 2026 offseason has been set as the big stage to retool around Luka Doncic. The time to be passive is running out. The Lakers need to exhaust all options once the summer arrives.