Getty Image / Jevone Moore
With just one day left until this year’s NBA Draft, it isn’t quite clear what the Los Angeles Lakers plan to do with their 1st round pick.
They currently own the draft’s 17th pick and it might not be the worst idea for them to use it to start bringing in some young talent as their core continues to age and they decide whether to re-sign some of their younger players.
However, there is also still the possibility that the Lakers will choose to trade the pick to add another piece that will help them contend after they reached the Western Conference Finals this past season.
As they close in on the deadline to make a decision on this pick, it seems the Lakers have a couple of players in mind for a potential trade.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers are interested in making a deal with the Indiana Pacers for Buddy Hield or Myles Turner.
What are the Lakers going to do with the No. 17 pick in tomorrow’s NBA Draft?
Here’s the latest intel, including the various paths the Lakers can take and some of the names they’ve been linked to: https://t.co/3McEpqmDys
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) June 21, 2023
The Lakers showing interest in Turner and Hield is nothing new. There were rumors about a deal potentially getting done last season for both players, but nothing ever materialized.
The Lakers’ shooting improved over the course of the season after an abysmal start, but they could definitely use somebody like Hield to stretch the floor. Hield is a former 3-point contest winner and knocked down 42.5% of his attempts from 3 last season.
Turner would give the Lakers some depth in the front court and could pair with Anthony Davis if the Lakers want to put together a big lineup with those two and LeBron.
The Los Angeles Lakers were reluctant to spend draft capital on players like Hield and Turner an offseason ago, but it’s something they should really be considering if they want to make another run with LeBron.