Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers hold the No. 17 pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA draft.

That isn’t the greatest spot at which to find the rotation player they really need, as evidenced most clearly by the fact the player they selected in this same spot last year, Jalen Hood-Schifino, hardly saw the floor as a freshman (109 minutes over 21 games).

They don’t necessarily need to move the pick for an established veteran, although that option is surely being explored. Climbing up the draft board for a better prospect could do the trick, too.

And the Lakers are exploring that very possibility, per Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer (h/t Lakers Nation), who noted, “there’s talk of the Lakers wanting to move up a little bit.”

While every front office should be considering all options at this point, the path forward for the Purple and Gold seems fairly certain. Trading the No. 17 pick feels like the best option on the board, regardless of whether that’s a move up or out of this draft.

The Lakers Need More Help Than the 17th Pick Can Provide

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

While the Lakers know they have a championship foundation in place with LeBron James and Anthony Davis—their 2020 title win proved as much—they should also know their stars need more support than they had this season.

James’ 71 appearances were his most in a Lakers’ jersey. Davis’ 76 outings set a new career-high. And still, this wound up being a 47-win play-in participant that lasted just five games in its first-round tussle with the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers’ list of needs is extensive. Everything from point-of-attack defense and perimeter shot-making to creation and athleticism is featured on it.

L.A. must come out of this draft confident that it has checked at least one of those boxes. Expecting a player pulled from the back half of the opening round in a draft no one seems to love (or like) lands somewhere between wildly optimistic and simply outlandish.

There Are Players in This Draft Who Could Get Rotation Minutes in L.A.

 

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

While the Lakers probably don’t have the resources to vault up the draft board, they should have enough to land somewhere near the top 10. And that could be massive considering the caliber of prospects still on the board at that point versus where L.A. is slated to select.

For context, the latest mock from B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman has the Lakers spending the No. 17 pick on Purdue center Zach Edey, whom Wasserman likened to Jonas Valančiūnas. While some might note Valančiūnas has had a productive career, others could point there are reasons the New Orleans Pelicans aren’t expected to bring him back.

Edey is massive and skilled, but there are real concerns about his ability to add any kind of value away from the basket (at either end). And the last thing the Lakers need is someone clogging up the paint and taking away attack opportunities from James and Davis.

Meanwhile, Wasserman mocked Providence guard Devin Carter, a player the Lakers have worked out, at No. 8. If L.A. could get that high, it would add a prospect Wasserman compared to Boston Celtics’ do-it-all swingman Derrick White. At No. 10, Wasserman has Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, whom Wasserman comped to Wally Szczerbiak, who averaged 14.1 points and shot 40.6 percent from three over a 10-year career.

Trading for a Veteran Would Add More Certainty

Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

James may not play like a 39-year-old, but that doesn’t change his actual age. And while Davis isn’t ancient, a 31-year-old with a detailed injury history doesn’t sound like the most reliable archetype in the Association.

In other words, if the Lakers have a window to win with this duo, it’s right now. They may not want to put such immediate pressure to perform on an incoming prospect and could look to flip this pick for an established veteran.

On its own, the pick can’t hold a ton of value, but maybe it’s enough to snag a rotational role player. Maybe that selection plus the necessary salary-filler is enough to pry three-and-D swingman Dorian Finney-Smith away from the Brooklyn Nets. That isn’t a game-changing deal, but a multi-positional defender with a reliable outside shot could fill a pretty prominent role for the Purple and Gold.

Or the Lakers could package this pick with some of their other top trade assets (two future firsts, perhaps Austin Reaves) to pursue either a star or multiple high-end role players. A few marquee names have been connected to this franchise, so there might be interest in a big-game hunt.

The direction L.A. takes is almost less important than the fact it simply takes one. Standing pat at No. 17 and selecting a lesser-tiered prospect seemingly does very little to help next season’s Lakers. And if they’re able to retain James, they’ll stay in championship-or-bust mode, meaning it’s better to prioritize the present over the future.