Los Angeles Lakers: Questions to answer once offseason arrives

2. What happens with Lakers’ 2020 first-round pick?

Regardless of what happens during the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign, the Lakers are going to be in “win now” mode heading into next season. They’ve got James and (hopefully) Davis, only several expiring contracts and enough intrigue to lure in some additional veteran talent.

Where does a late-first-round rookie fit into that equation? Honestly, it kind of doesn’t.

Just look at Talen Horton-Tucker, the second-rounder LA acquired on draft night in 2019. Despite being a quality player with enough tools to contribute immediately, he played a whopping five minutes in Los Angeles’ first 63 games this season. It wouldn’t surprise if his role wasn’t much larger in 2020-21. That leaves little room for yet another inexperienced prospect.

Unfortunately, trading the pick isn’t an option either. Per the Stepien Rule, teams are not allowed to trade first-round picks in consecutive years. Seeing as the Lakers already dealt their 2021 first-round pick to the Pelicans, they won’t be allowed to move their pick (or the player they select) until the draft is over.

In theory, they could do a handshake deal with another club to pick the player they want and then swap after the draft, but that’s a whole different discussion.

More than likely, the Lakers will look to strike late-first-round gold again. They have a history of killing it with their selections in the 20-30 range, with prime recent examples being Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Larry Nance Jr. Targeting a polished, experienced contributor makes the most sense, as they’ll be looking for someone who can (in theory) help early.