2. Dennis Schröder, 2013
Before Dennis Schröder ran point for a Los Angeles Lakers team that reached the Western Conference Finals, he was selected at No. 17 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. 11 seasons later, Schröder has been consistently productive and made eight postseason appearances.
Considering the Lakers are in the market for a long-term solution at point guard, finding a player like Schröder in 2024 would be a phenomenal outcome.
Schröder finished the 2022-23 season with the Lakers averaging 12.6 points and 4.5 assists in 30.1 minutes per game. He perhaps infamously replaced D'Angelo Russell in the starting lineup during the postseason, and had peaks that helped Los Angeles advance before that decision was made.
Schröder also spent the 2020-21 season with the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists while helping the team go 42-30 in the COVID-shortened season.
Most of Schröder's individual success has come outside of Los Angeles, but 11 seasons of quality play is no small feat in any market. Schröder was second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, for instance, during the 2019-20 season after averaging 18.9 points and 4.0 assists in 30.8 minutes per game.
In either scenario, the Lakers would be lucky to land a starting-caliber point guard or a Sixth Man of the Year candidate at No. 17.