Latest intel reveals that the NBA Draft may be key to the Lakers landing a third star

With the NBA Draft just over a month away, the Los Angeles Lakers may be surprisingly active in the lead-up to and during draft night. The Lakers are expected to have the 17th and 55th picks in the draft and the team reportedly has big plans for those selections. According to the Athletic's Jovan Buha, Los Angeles is planning to include their first-round pick in a potential trade for a star this summer.

Meanwhile, the Athletics' Shams Charania reports that they are interested in selecting Bronny James, the son of team superstar LeBron James. With Bronny not showing up in many recent mock drafts, it's possible that they may be able to select him with the 55th pick in the draft

Were that to happen, that would seemingly all but guarantee that LeBron re-signs with the Lakers this offseason. With LeBron committed, Los Angeles could focus their attention on improving their roster, specifically trading for a third star to pair with him and Anthony Davis.

Will the Lakers ambitious draft plans make them a title contender next season?

With the Lakers looking to trade for a star, the two most obvious candidates would be Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young anCleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. Including the 17th pick, in addition to their 2028 and/or 2030 firsts, would be key to convincing the Hawks or Cavaliers to take back Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent in exchange for their star player.

While acquiring future firsts may be a selling point for those teams, so is having a pick in this year's draft, especially as the draft nears and as teams become more familiar with the prospects available. As a result, the Lakers shopping the 17th pick might increase the chances of a deal getting done around the draft. 

If the Lakers can land either Young or Mitchell, pairing them with LeBron and Davis may be enough to get them back into title contention. Factor in that they may be in a position to select Bronny James and those moves would probably ensure that LeBron plays for another couple of seasons and retires as a Laker.

Ultimately, the Lakers appear to have major offseason plans to get themselves back into title contention. Those plans could start soon, with the NBA draft right around the corner.