The Lakers need to use their 2014 draft pick, not trade it

Following a franchise-worst season in 2014 where they went 27-55, the Los Angeles Lakers are in the unfamiliar territory of having a high draft pick in a loaded NBA Draft. Barring a last-minute trade, L.A. will select a new player on Thursday to don the forum blue and gold with the 7th pick. This marks the first time that the Lakers have had a top 10 pick since they drafted Andrew Bynum in 2005, and the first time they’ve had a pick this high since the selection of James Worthy in 1982, a pick they acquired from Cleveland in a trade.

Yet, they’re currently placed in something of a quandary. Because the Lakers inked Kobe Bryant to a controversial two-year, $48.5 million extension back in November, there likely are only two seasons remaining in the Kobe era in L.A. That, paired with Bryant’s famous ultra-competitive personality, has placed extra pressure on the Lakers to try and rebuild as quickly as possible. That primarily includes waiting to see how free agency pans out, but something else the Lakers could do is to try to trade the 7th pick for a veteran that could help them compete in the immediate future, or even try to draft for NBA readiness, as opposed to potential.

This would be a huge mistake.

Barring some incredibly unlikely aligning of stars that would bring the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, other good supplemental pieces and no small amount of luck, the Lakers are not winning a title next season. This is something that the L.A. front office needs to accept, even though we know Kobe never will (nor should he). The Lakers need to approach this draft the way most teams do, and draft the best available long-term asset with high potential.

There is certainly no shortage of tantalizing prospects this year. The most likely candidates to be available in this spot for L.A. are Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, and Aaron Gordon. All three of these players would provide L.A. with a solid infusion of youth and athleticism.

Given recent rumors and mock drafts, Randle to the Lakers seems to be picking up a decent amount of steam. Chad Ford of ESPN reported that the Lakers were not as worried about his foot injury as other teams, and Randle apparently impressed them in his private workout. Randle has a very unique game, and really can only be described as a beast. His physicality dominated college big men through finishing and rebounding, though it remains to be seen whether his game will translate well to the next level. He would provide a rather interesting contrast of style when subbed out for sophomore forward Ryan Kelly.

Smart is a pretty fascinating prospect. He’s a bad shooter that likes to throw up long-range bricks, but he is good at pretty much every other aspect of the game. He would provide great penetration and finishing from the point guard spot, as well as the capability of being a good NBA defender. Smart also has the chance to be great at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line, but his flopping makes him a player that many love to hate, especially if he went to Hollywood.

Gordon is much more of a question mark to me. He seems to have all the capabilities of becoming a destructive force on defense, possessing an innate ability to seemingly always disrupt an offensive play (especially pick and rolls), but his offensive game is much more in doubt. Something of a tweener between a 3 & 4, it’s not entirely clear what exactly he could contribute on that end. It also doesn’t help when you note that he shot 42.2% on free throws during his freshman year at Arizona.

Another fun what-if scenario is if Joel Embiid takes a dramatic slide on draft night. He already has gone from #1-2 on many draft boards to around #4-6. You have to wonder if it’s possible that he would fall as far as the Lakers, though it would remains unlikely. If he is somehow available, the Lakers would have a chance to draft a long-term piece that might eventually turn into the next great Laker big man. Bryant would probably not be a fan of this pick, but L.A. has to go with what would be best for the team’s long-term future.

Having 16 NBA titles does not exempt the Lakers from common sense. The Lakers have a daunting rebuilding process in front of them. They’ve done it before with crafty trades and major free agent acquisitions, but now they have a more traditional asset to jump-start the process. Draft the player that has the best chance to be great, then develop him and keep him in L.A. for a long time. Then, when the time comes, you can take your shots at acquiring star talent through free agency. Perhaps then, the Lakers will be right back among the NBA elite in a few years.

(Follow Tom  on Twitter @TJFsports. He also contributes at Silver Screen&Roll and Rock Chalk Talk of SBNation)