The LA Lakers are days away from picking 2nd overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. It is the first step in finally turning the franchise back on the road to respectability.
The draft is projected as a two-man draft and the Lakers have the privilege of waiting on which of Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram the Sixers don't pick first overall.
According to a report by ESPN, the Sixers have already made a promise to Ben Simmons.
"The Philadelphia 76ers have informed Ben Simmons that they will select him with the No. 1 pick in Thursday's NBA draft. The 76ers' promise was first reported by Cleveland.com and confirmed by ESPN."
With that settled, it's most likely Brandon Ingram from Duke that will fall to the purple and gold. The lanky 6'9" Blue Devil has good length and solid shooting. He also has silky smooth offensive moves that would make him an easy fit for the Lakers, or any team for that matter. Even the Indiana Pacers.
The Lakers have been rumored to pursue Paul George again using the no.2 pick as a lure. Now that they have a better idea of who it will be, perhaps the parameters of the proposed trade can now be discussed.
According to Forbes contributor Brian Mazique, Paul George is the only player worthy of a "Godfather offer" from the Tinseltown team.
"A proposed deal could be: Russell, Randle, Williams and the No. 2 pick for George and the Pacers' 20th selection," Mazique presented.
Mazique reasoned that George is "a proven superstar, one of the best two-way players in the league and a California native who played his college ball at Fresno State University. He even recently named his dog Kobe after the Lakers' retired future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant."
Aside from George's ties to the city, he is also "a natural fit for Laker culture and exactly the type of star and leader the team needs to succeed Bryant, and guide them back to respectability."
The article took note of other possible franchise players that the team could target with that offer. Jimmy Butler also has LA ties but his leadership in Chicago has been questioned. Another name mentioned, DeMarcus Cousins, has too many issues regarding his attitude. While he is a prime talent, he's not the ideal guy to lead a young core.
In contrast, George has been a proven winner and his resilience in recovering from a horrific injury and leading a weakened team (they lost their starting frontline) to the playoffs (Butler's Bulls was the team that got the axe in a tight race).
There has been little activity reported about this possible trade but the Lakers could pull off a big surprise come draft day. Mazique does not claim insider info but he continues to suggest this trade as a possibility.