Lakers: Los Angeles Has Big Decisions to Make in 2024 NBA Draft

Los Angeles needs some major help.

Jan 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at midcourt at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers have a big decision to make as we approach this month's 2024 NBA Draft.

The Lakers hold the No. 17 pick in this year's draft, and the expectation is that they will use it for a star player or reliable role player. That remains to be seen, and the odds of the Lakers brass doing just that are significant. However, the team seems open to moving up in the draft, if one of their preferred first round targets seems liable to be picked before they get a shot.

Keeping the pick wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, and trading up in the draft would also be far from that.

Although this draft supposedly lacks top-tier talent or even well-regarded depth compared to other classes, L.A.'s track record of drafting players is excellent (last year's Jalen Hood-Schifino decision aside). The Lakers' scouting department is one of the best in the business, and if that group feel it can grab a player it loves by trading up, Los Angeles should do it.

It's a mystery for all we know. This team has surprised us in the past, and we shouldn't expect anything different on June 26. The Lakers have many ways to go; let's just hope it's the right one for their own sake. Even if we assess L.A. an "incomplete" grade for the Hood-Schifino pick (he was selected ahead of now-Miami Heat swingman Jaime Jaquez and now-Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, two solid players who were able to instantly contribute to win-now teams), it's clear now that the raw young playmaker wasn't ready to chip in at the pro level, for a club who desperately needed the instant help.

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