NBA Draft 2014: Los Angeles Lakers to host workout with 12 players on Wednesday

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the more intriguing teams in the entire 2014 NBA Draft, as the league’s flagship franchise balances the terrain between attempting to win immediately while simultaneously bridging the gap toward the time when Kobe Bryant retires. In that vein, Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles reports that the team will host a massive, 12-player workout on Wednesday, despite currently holding only one selection (the 7th overall pick) in the entire draft.

McMenamin sheds further light on why exactly Los Angeles would do this:

"Why so many? A couple reasons. First of all, there is always the possibility the Lakers could acquire more picks. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told the Los Angeles Daily News at the predraft combine in Chicago last month that his goal was to do just that. Considering L.A.’s bare cupboard when it comes to tradable assets, the team could end up trading down to get the additional pick Kupchak mentioned. Philadelphia (picks Nos. 10, 32, 39, 47, 52 and 54), Phoenix (picks Nos. 14, 18, 27 and 50), Charlotte (picks Nos. 9, 24 and 45) and Chicago (picks Nos. 16, 19 and 49) all possess later picks they could package to L.A. to try to move up to No. 7."

Frankly, it makes almost too much sense. The Lakers have an incredibly unique roster situation in that they have virtually no one under contract, and with the uncertainty surrounding both Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, Los Angeles needs to make sure they can fill a roster with 12-to-15 “real” NBA players.

The list of players that the Lakers will bring on on Wednesday is fairly impressive, including guys like Tyler Ennis, Nik Stauskas, Gary Harris and Rodney Hood, but the specifics are almost irrelevant when compared to the concept. The Los Angeles Lakers have a tall task ahead, and it would behoove them to trade down.