Los Angeles Lakers: Grading the team’s offseason moves so far
By Jason Elbaum
3. Trading the 28th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft to the Utah Jazz for the 30th and 42nd picks
This was a savvy move by Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, who prepared to make this trade when they sent Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets before the trade deadline in exchange for the 28th overall pick in this particular draft.
The Lakers would use the 30th pick to select defensive specialist Josh Hart out of Villanova, who was a member of the Villanova NCAA championship team. Hart has seen more playing time with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope dealing with a legal issue and is averaging 5.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in the month of December.
With a chance to pick in the second round of the draft, the Lakers went with a big man who can stretch the floor in center Thomas Bryant out of Indiana. He has yet to make his debut for the Lakers but has been dominating for the G League team, averaging 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9 percent from behind the arc.
The Utah Jazz ended up selecting Tony Bradley out of North Carolina with the Lakers’ 28th pick. The 6’10” center has seen minimal work for Utah this season but has averaged 15.7 points and 9.9 rebounds for the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
It’s difficult to judge this trade because the players involved are still young, but the Lakers look like they got players who fit their mold with a defensive stopper in Hart and a stretch-5 in Bryant. It’s clear that Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka had their eyes on these prospects on draft night, and they had the asset necessary to acquire both in a two-for-one deal.
Grade: B