Lakers News: LA Eyeing Move Into Late Lottery In Thursday's Draft

The purple and gold could be making more moves in the lead up to the draft.

There's been a deluge of speculation on what the Los Angeles Lakers could pull off surrounding tonight's NBA Draft.

As far as the first round is concerned, the Lakers have the No. 17 pick as of Monday morning.

But they could still play a role in the future of Chris Paul, potentially trade down, or keep the pick and bring a rookie into the fold.

The team already made a trade with the Indiana Pacers early Thursday, and per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, could be eying a move further up into the first round.

"Baylor guard Keyonte George is another ball-handler expected to be selected in the first half of the first round. The Lakers, at No. 17, have been searching for trade avenues to move up into the early teens, perhaps to take George, but he declined to say whether he’d worked out for Los Angeles."(via Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports)

George would be an intriguing option for the Lakers, especially with LA guards D'Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder set to hit free agency this offseason.

He can penetrate well is a good playmaker, and would definitely be a solid addition to the second unit to start his career.

Additionally, he's a tenacious defender, and D'Angelo Russell had problems on that end of the floor during the playoffs.

If they opt not to go in that direction, they may have a chance at drafting Gradey Dick.

A sharpshooting wing out of Kansas, Dick would provide something the Lakers have been sorely lacking since LeBron James joined the team in 2018 -- a consistent threat from deep.

Dick's 40 percent mark from deep would certainly help in that area, and he'd be able to space the floor well in catch and shoot situations off of James' penetration.

It remains to be seen if Los Angeles will make any further moves between now and the beginning of the draft, but the potential to trade up is another element to watch ahead of Thursday evening.

And you can keep it right here at Sports Illustrated's All Lakers for all of the coverage you'll need throughout LA's draft night!