The Los Angeles Lakers did not enter the 2019 NBA Draft lottery with great odds, but they still managed to land the fourth overall pick of the first round of the draft next month.
For a team in desperate need of something positive happening this offseason, getting that fortunate in the lottery is certainly a great start.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka says that the franchise is facing a “critical decision” in terms of what it will do with the No. 4 selection, stating that Los Angeles may pick a player or end up trading the pick, according to Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints.
Of course, many feel the Lakers will try to trade the pick for New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis, whom Los Angeles attempted to trade for but failed during the regular season.
And if Davis is out of the picture, the Lakers can always try to entice another team into trading a star player for the pick, with some speculating that LA could pursue Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
Obviously, with LeBron James turning 35 years old in December, the Lakers are in win-now mode, so you would think that if they can find a team willing to trade their star player in a deal for the No. 4 selection, they will pull the trigger.
But that is definitely easier said than done.
The Lakers had No. 2 overall picks in three straight NBA Drafts between 2015 and 2017, selecting D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball with those selections. Russell is no longer with the club, and Ingram and Ball have been inconsistent.
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