Jimmy Butler guarding Kobe Bryant (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The LA Lakers are in a very good position to make themselves a better team, but the question is, how much better?
With a 2nd overall pick, the Lakers will get a good player (at this point, either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram with the latter as the more likely scenario), but they also have a ton of cap space to sign free agents.
The Lakers are used to having the biggest names on their radar and signing Kevin Durant would change the landscape of the Western Conference, if not the entire NBA. However, even with the immense potential of the incoming draftees the sad reality is that Durant will not leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook to babysit rookies and sophomores.
Thus, similar to their arch rival Boston Celtics, the Tinseltown team could use a trade. There were already rumors of the sort that the Lakers would shoot for a superstar as Lakers Nation quoted Colin Cowherd in his "The Herd" podcast.
"The Lakers would trade three of them. They'd like to keep Julius Randle. They'd move the other three to rebuild it with multiple free agents and Randle's the only one they really truly believe is ready very quickly to be on a really good NBA team," Cowherd said.
Not much has changed since that statement came out. D'Angelo Russell showed flashes of his potential but cannot be considered a game-changer yet but teams are interested in him. The only development is that the Lakers secured the no.2 pick (hence, another asset, could even be the most valuable) and relieved the uncertainty.
With the recent news that the Boston Celtics are shopping their no.3 pick to get a superstar (Jimmy Butler was mentioned) and the ESPN report about the Minnesota Timberwolves are also shopping the no.5 pick for Jimmy Butler, it should be noted that the Lakers trump both picks.
The Chicago Bulls are reportedly shopping for their point guard of the future and D'Angelo Russell would be very enticing for them. The divide between the no.2 and no.3 pick in this draft is wide and the hypothetical offer of no.3 plus Jae Crowder would crumble if the Lakers did offer the consecutive no.2 picks in the last two drafts.
The question is, would the Lakers do it? The Lakers brass have gone back and forth on keeping the pick and trading it-which is the usual ploy to throw off their rivals. But LA is all about the big names, and with three years of stark mediocrity, the legion of Lakers fans are anxious to compete.
Will acquiring Jimmy Butler get them Kevin Durant? No guarantee but it definitely raises their chances-not just with KD but also other free agents. Hassan Whiteside, Al Horford, DeMar DeRozan are all big names who could possibly join Butler in Tinseltown, if that happens.
Thus, will the Lakers bite on this trade if there was an opportunity? Most likely.
