Realistic Lakers trade/draft targets after Pelicans defer 2024 NBA Draft pick

The Los Angeles Lakers are officially selecting 17th in June's NBA Draft. The New Orleans Pelicans had the option to claim LA's pick as part of the Anthony Davis trade, but will instead defer that claim to the (much stronger) 2025 draft.

This is more or less good news for Los Angeles. There is more trade optionality with a 2024 pick and the Lakers surely hope to be more competitive — or at least comparably competitive — next season. There is more pressure to perform next season, at least from the front office perspective, but the Lakers aren't really playing the long game.

As such, expect this pick to go toward an immediate contributor. If that's not a trade, it's probably an experienced college winner or one of the more well-rounded underclassmen. The 2024 draft is weak, but frankly, No. 17 sort of falls in a sweet spot. Teams slated ahead of Los Angeles will overthink their options and reach out of desperation. There is going to be a high-level prospect that tumbles into Los Angeles' lap. It's up to Rob Pelinka and the front office to recognize that prospect and take advantage.

Of course, in the alternative situation — a trade — Los Angeles will be looking for meaningful upgrades around LeBron and AD. The ideal trade candidates all qualify as third stars, but the Lakers need to tread carefully amid the newly restrictive collective bargaining agreement. The more expensive a team gets, the less flexibility is allowed on the margins. If Los Angeles spends too much on LeBron, AD, and [insert third star], it becomes harder to match salaries in trades, add impact free agents, or move future draft picks.

As such, there's a case for eschewing the three-star formula in favor of a more robust depth chart.

Here's a quick rundown of the best (realistic) prospects and trade targets for Los Angeles.

Lakers NBA Draft targets with No. 17 pick

I am going to separate these into three tiers — 1) Dream Outcomes 2) Day-One Contributors 3) Flawed Upside Bets.

1.1 — Jared McCain, Duke
1.2 — Isaiah Collier, USC

Neither McCain nor Collier should fall to the Lakers. Both are top-10 (maybe top-five) prospects with elite, immediately translatable attributes. McCain is the more natural fit due to his volume 3-point shooting and malleable skill set. Collier demands more on-ball reps and runs into trouble beyond the arc, but his live-wire athleticism and advantage creation is undeniable. He has one of the highest ceilings in the draft.

2.3 — Devin Carter, Providence
2.4 — Tristan da Silva, Colorado
2.5 — Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
2.6 — Zach Edey, Colorado
2.7 — Kyle Filipowski, Duke

This is prospect pool Los Angeles should focus on, barring a stroke of luck: clear day-one contributors with flexible, low-to-mid usage skill sets.

Carter is an elite perimeter defender and spot-up shooter with connective passing instincts.

Knecht and da Silva are both proper wings who space the floor, score proficiently off the catch, and defend multiple positions (with varying degrees of success).

Edey and Filipowski would anchor the second unit frontcourt behind Anthony Davis (and potentially next to AD in the occasional twin towers lineup). Edey is a more traditional post-up scorer and rim-runner, while Flip can shoot, pass, and even run an inverted pick-and-roll from time to time.

3.8 — Cody Williams, Colorado
3.9 — Kel'el Ware, Indiana
3.10 — Yves Missi, Baylor
3.11 — Bub Carrington, Pittsburgh
3.12 — Nikola Djurisic, Serbia

This feels like fair coverage of the Lakers' general draft range. There are prospects who could unexpectedly fall or rise — we never know until Adam Silver reads the names aloud — but I'd be pretty shocked if the Lakers' eventual pick is not listed somewhere above. You can check out our latest big board for a complete rundown of the 60 best prospects overall.

In general, this third tier includes solid value picks at No. 17 who might not fit the Lakers' immediate timeline. If Los Angeles makes the right moves in free agency, perhaps that is okay. But, after whiffing on the No. 17 pick last season with Jalen Hood-Schifino, who looks nowhere near ready to contribute, the Lakers should probably go for a more surefire entity in 2024.

Lakers trade targets with No. 17 pick

Let's make another tiered list, because why not? We will break it up into... three tiers — 1) Obvious Stars 2) Elite Role Players 3) Overpaid 'Stars'

Let's start with the crème de la crème.

1.1 — Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
1.2 — Trae Young, Hawks
1.3 — Paul George, Clippers
1.4 — Jimmy Butler, Heat

If the Lakers can package the No. 17 pick to acquire any of these players, it's a no-brainer. CBA be damned, who cares about flexibility, this is a win-now moment with LeBron approaching his age-40 season. The Lakers can't actually ignore the long-term ramifications, of course, but the three-star system can still yield results if all stars are healthy and well-balanced.

Donovan Mitchell put Cleveland on his back in the playoffs. He is the clear 'have to employ' sort of talent. Trae Young gets a bad wrap, but his skill set would be supremely valuable to the Lakers now and later, in a post-LeBron world. Jimmy Butler is Jimmy Butler. I'm skeptical that the Clippers ever entertain signing-and-trading PG to the Lakers, but he's worth a passing mention.

2.5 — Alex Caruso, Bulls
2.6 — Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hawks
2.7 — Malcolm Brogdon, Blazers
2.8 — Kelly Olynyk, Raptors
2.9 — Duncan Robinson, Heat

This tier is dedicated to the impact role players and high-end starters who can be acquired for much less than a bona fide star. There are "better" players in the upcoming third tier, but when factoring in the price — both in terms of salary and the outgoing trade package — these players represent better value in the Lakers' current situation.

3.10 — Darius Garland, Cavaliers
3.11 — Brandon Ingram, Pelicans
3.12 — Dejounte Murray, Hawks
3.13 — Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers
3.14 — Julius Randle, Knicks
3.15 — DeMar DeRozan, Bulls
3.16 — Zach LaVine, Bulls

Pretty much everyone in tier three (with the exception of DeRozan and LaVine) would cost more in the outgoing trade package than anybody in tier two. That does not sound like great business to me.

I am a bit torn, admittedly, on Darius Garland's inclusion here. He's a tremendous fit for the Lakers, but his average annual salary of $39.4 million is a lot. The Lakers can sign-and-trade for Tyus Jones for like half the price and maybe get 75 percent of the production.

That is crude math, but the Lakers need to be careful with their finances and focus on adding the right depth pieces. None of these are definitively bad options, but the Lakers could be better off targeting a less expensive role player with the No. 17 pick and saving ammo for future trade opportunities and marginal signings.