Los Angeles Lakers: 3 potential blockbuster draft-day trades in 2017

Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks

If there’s a team that’s in need of an overhaul, it’s the New York Knicks. While Porzingis is undoubtedly one of the league’s rising star’s, making a deal with the Lakers could enable the Knicks to completely start from scratch and build from the ground up.

Furthermore, there is the current frosty relationship between Porzingis and the Knicks’ front office. Or more specifically, team president Phil Jackson. Following the end of the Knicks’ season, Porzingis decided to skip the team’s annual exit interviews, primarily due to the dysfunction and drama surrounding the team.

The Knicks, at Jackson’s insistence, will be featuring his famed triangle offense even more prominently come next season. According to a late season article from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:

"“Hornacek hinted that unlike last October, he intends to make a full commitment to running the triangle offense, which is a system not favored by most of the Knicks.”"

The three leading scorers for the Knicks this season were Carmelo Anthony, Porzingis and Derrick Rose. As a free agent, Rose is unlikely to be retained by the Knicks, whereas Jackson has made it abundantly clear that he sees Anthony’s future elsewhere, despite Anthony holding a no-trade clause in his contract.

Porzingis himself recently expressed his frustration with the triangle, noting that the players:

"“….don’t know the triangle well….it’s very random.”"

This season, Porzingis averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game. One of his best games of the season was a 35-point, seven-rebound performance against the Detroit Pistons.

Currently holders of the No. 8 overall pick, adding an additional quality draft pick gives Jackson and his staff an amazing impetus to commence a complete rebuild from the ground up. The main spanner in the works as far as this deal is concerned is the inclusion of Ingram, for whom Johnson recently labelled as “untouchable”:

"“I would say probably the only player that we would say, ‘Hey’ — that we would probably not move — is Brandon Ingram.”"

Having said that, what executives say in public and private can be a completely different thing. That’s not to say that Johnson is being misleading. But if he were in a position of receiving such an offer, his public sentiments may be swayed somewhat behind closed doors.

The Knicks also pick up a young, exciting player in Clarkson on a very respectable contract. Furthermore, they also receive a future first round pick in order to sweeten what appears to be a win-win from both sides of the equation.

Meanwhile, veteran Courtney Lee will be able to share the backcourt with Russell, providing a steadying hand on both ends of the court.

But ultimately, the Lakers landing the 7’3″ Latvian would simply be a feather-in-the-cap for Johnson. With the ability to shoot from absolutely anywhere on the floor, the 21-year-old Porzingis represents the prototypical stretch-big for many years to come.