2019 NBA Mock Draft: The Lakers are finished

Get ready for Clarke to rise on every draft board in the land this summer. Gonzaga will likely enter the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and should they make another deep run (and the talent says they should), Clarke will be a big reason why and therefore a massive draft riser. He is the type of elite all-around role player who comes once in a generation and provides the same level of statistical impact as a traditional superstar.

All of this might make it sound like the Lakers should just keep him. They probably should. He is the perfect modern center to play next to LeBron James.

However, we know the Lakers’ hopes are much greater than grooming the next Shawn Marion. Los Angeles wants to win.

The problem, as everyone has been talking about constantly, is that their proposed trade package for Anthony Davis has been on a roller coaster ride since late January. First, the lackadaisical play from Brandon Ingram made it look like a relative pupu platter compared with other superstars potentially available such as Zion Williamson or Jayson Tatum. Then, Ingram started attacking the rim like a madman and he looked more valuable than ever. Now, Ingram is rehabbing a blood clot in his right arm and facing the potential of a lingering heart problem. Lonzo Ball, the other key part of the package, lost another season to injury as a Grade 3 ankle sprain incited the Lakers to shut Ball down.

Suddenly this pick looks as if it might be a pretty important piece of any Lakers offer for Davis. L.A. could reasonably get as high as the sixth spot in the lottery without Ingram or Ball and with LeBron James limited. No one in the lottery really wants to lose, so if the Lakers really lean into tanking the last three weeks of the season, they could improve this pick even further.