A new report suggests the Los Angeles Lakers have a couple of trade assets that could be very helpful in completing a blockbuster trade this season.
The first half of the 2024-25 Lakers campaign was always expected to be a roller coaster due to the big learning curve head coach JJ Redick would have to go through. For the first time in a long time, the front office chose not to make big moves in the offseason and decided a coaching change was what would cure their problems from last year.
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And while LA has had slumps this season, they head into the new year with a rock-solid 20-16 record and are among the top six teams in a deep Western Conference. However, that doesn’t mean the organization won’t make a trade before the February 6 NBA trade deadline. Honestly, it’s a guarantee that they will do something.
Over the last couple of seasons, general manager Rob Pelinka has been patient in holding on to his draft assets. And now the Lakers have future picks that could help them make some impact moves in the next few weeks. But on Tuesday, The Athletic Lakers insider Jovan Buha revealed the team has two specific draft assets teams around the NBA covert.
Teams around the NBA covet Los Angeles Lakers’ 2029 and 2031 draft picks
“People want the 2029 and 2031 picks just because of the uncertainty [around the Lakers’ long-term future],” Buha claimed in a new video post on his YouTube channel.
The team doesn’t have first-round picks this year or in 2027. However, they have first-round selections in five upcoming drafts that they might be able to use in potential trades over the next month. But it makes sense that teams are specifically eyeing their selections at the end of the decade.
- Los Angeles Lakers future draft picks (First-round): 2026, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031
Lebron James will be long gone by then, and the picks also come after Anthony Davis’ current contract runs out. Who knows what sort of team they will be by then? But mortgaging the future to try and win another title now with James is something the Lakers have shown they are willing to do.