Los Angeles Lakers: Is Trading No. 1 Pick A Good Idea?

Should the Los Angeles Lakers trade away the chance to draft a future star to grab one in the present?

All season long, it’s been a point of optimism for Los Angeles Lakers fans. It’s helped them suffer through the drawn out departure of longtime star Kobe Bryant, the fluctuating play of a young core and the (new) worst season in franchise history.

It’s the potential opportunity for the Lakers to land the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft — a chance that, according to recent reports, they may not even take.

On his radio talk show The Herd, Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports Radio said that multiple sources have told him the Lakers will seek to trade the No. 1 pick for a bonafide superstar should they land it in the lottery.

The Lakers could, however, end up without a first-round pick at all should the lottery not fall their way.

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Unless the pick lands in the lottery–which determines the top three picks–it will be conveyed to the Philadelphia 76ers to complete a July 2012 deal with the Phoenix Suns, in which the Lakers acquired Steve Nash in exchange for 2013 first- and second-round picks, a 2014 second-round pick and a protected 2015 first-rounder.

That pick rolled over to 2016 when the Lakers secured the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The 76ers acquired the pick in February 2015 as part of a three-team deal with the Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.

With many stars set to hit the free agency market this summer, there are only a few currently under contract that could the Lakers consider such a monumental deal.

One would be Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, who the team targeted last summer before the draft and who may be on the outs with a management team that is tired of dealing with a franchise player whose attitude puts him at odds with coaches and teammates.

Another star that the Lakers have recently been linked with is Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler who, despite coming off of a career year, finds himself in the midst of trade rumors along with several other key Bulls players as a result of their disappointing 2015-16 season.

Both players are All-Stars and franchise players in their own right, and the potential for either the Kings or Bulls to receive a fresh young star to replace their veteran ones makes these rumors enticing for both parties. But, for the Lakers, is it really worth giving up the number one pick and — likely — at least one member of a promising young core?

First, while both players have tremendous upside, they each have flaws that are enough to at least raise some concern.

Cousins is arguably the most dominant center in the league and undoubtedly one of the most well-rounded players it has to offer, but his bullish demeanor has been problematic thus far and there’s no indication that it wouldn’t be in the future.

Despite having a career year, Butler struggled with chemistry issues with his point guard and rookie head coach and could stand to face similar issues in Los Angeles with a team far less competitive than the Bulls team he would be leaving.

In either situation, a disgruntled, self-concerning superstar could prove to be cancerous to a young Lakers team trying to develop as a unit.

Speaking of that young core, trading for either will likely require the Lakers being willing to not only part with their top pick, but also giving up one or more members of their dynamic trio of D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle.

Russell’s name has already been mentioned in proposed trades for Butler and both he and Randle were previously dangled as trade bait to lure the Kings into sending Cousins to Los Angeles.

Both showed signs of promise towards the end of the season and could be formidable players if given the time to develop.

In addition, the Lakers can add yet another promising young player in either LSU forward Ben Simmons or Duke forward Brandon Ingram to a core with tons of potential and take an approach made popular by teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Golden State Warriors by letting them grow into a competitive team.

The decision of whether to build for the present or build for the future is one that the Lakers have faced countless times in their storied history, and they have often chosen the former. In some instances — think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal — it’s paid off in tremendous ways. However, as of late, it’s done them nothing but harm.

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The team is once again faced with that difficult decision — and this time, should they land the top pick, they better make sure they’re making the right decision.