NBA Draft Rumors: Scoot Henderson visits, Lakers plan for pick, Spurs can have both worlds

Lakers may actually pick in the first round

The Los Angeles Lakers are a bit like their neighbors, the LA Rams, in one big regard: They’ve lived by the mantra of “F them picks” over the last few years.

The Lakers haven’t made a first round pick since 2018, preferring instead to use their draft capital to trade for assets.

That might change this year with the No. 17 pick in hand.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, “the most likely outcome” is the Lakers making their pick at No. 17 instead of trading it away.

That’s not to say the team wouldn’t listen if another NBA team came calling looking to trade for it. But it would have to be a pretty sweet deal. Buha speculates LA would pull the trigger on a trade that involved getting “a starting-level upgrade” like Myles Turner.

Both of CBS Sports’ mock drafts have the Lakers taking a shooting guard at No. 17 with Kyle Boone projecting UCLA’s Amari Bailey to stay home while Gary Parrish has Arkansas’ Nick Smith in purple and gold.