With just two first-round picks over the next decade, the Los Angeles Lakers are doing whatever they can to hold onto their future and avoid letting go of their last remaining draft capital.
Even when guys like Myles Turner and Buddy Hield were on the table, the Lakers refused to offer their first-rounders. The same thing can be said for the pursuit of Kyrie Irving as well, which ended with him as a Maverick after L.A. allegedly only offered Russell Westbrook and a single first-round pick.
Nets and Mavs have a deal to send Kyrie Irving to Dallas, league source confirms. Lakers had offer earlier in week that included Russell Westbrook and a first round pick for Irving. The Athletic first reported Irving to Dallas.
Lakers fans were rightfully pissed with the report. After all, what’s the point of having LeBron James and Anthony Davis if you aren’t willing to go all-in around them?
Lakers Continue To Hoard Their Final Draft Picks
Unfortunately for Lakers fans, those pair of picks are just too valuable to the front office. According to Matt Moore of Action Network, the Lakers have had multiple chances to trade the picks for various pieces.
The Lakers didn’t want to trade those two picks, the remaining assets they have to make moves this season. Despite James’ very obvious consternation and disappointment in the team not choosing to make trades to improve the team, the Lakers simply would not move those picks. Not for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, not for various assets from Utah, not for various assets from San Antonio and, according to league sources, not in weekend discussions for Irving.
The Lakers were not going to get back a better player than Irving in a Westbrook deal. They may be able to move Westbrook in another deal, but Irving is off the table, for now. (The Lakers can offer him a max contract this summer if he hits free agency, though the Mavericks will be able to out-bid them. L.A. would also have to clear space after trading for Rui Hachimura.)
There aren’t many ways for the Lakers to get better this season without trading their first-rounders, which means that Rob Pelinka has only a couple of days to pull off a miracle.
If not, LeBron James and Lakers fans may just wait until the summer for reinforcements to arrive.
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