5 Best active players drafted at No. 17 overall ahead of crucial Lakers 2024 pick

5. Trey Murphy III, 2021

One of the breakout stars of the 2023-24 season, Trey Murphy III is emerging a high-level player for the New Orleans Pelicans. He showed signs of an efficient outside shot as a rookie and took a step forward in his second season, finishing in the top 10 in voting for the Most Improved Player award.

This past season, Murphy put together a career year as his volume increased and his .579 eFG% remained well above the league average of .547.

Over his final 24 appearances in 2023-24, Murphy took his game to another level. He averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steal, and 3.7 three-point field goals made per game while shooting an absurdly efficient .473/.417/.843.

With Murphy only now entering the final season of his rookie-scale deal, the Pelicans have one of the best bargain cap hits in the NBA at $5,159,855.

That's the biggest lesson for the Lakers to learn as they approach the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In addition to potentially finding a starting-caliber player, they can add someone who's paid a salary that will minimally impact the team's financial flexibility.

If Murphy is a sign of anything, it's the fact that the Lakers might even be able to find a legitimate third scoring option to develop to complement Davis and James.