Will the Lakers Trade Down From the 4th Pick in the NBA Draft?

Getty Bruno Fernando of the Maryland Terrapins shoots a free throw against the LSU Tigers.

Blessed with an improbable leap up in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Los Angeles Lakers now sit on the fourth pick in an extremely top heavy draft. With a number of teams desperate to land their next franchise cornerstone in the draft, the Lakers might want to explore the option of trading down the pick – if the price is right.

Should the Lakers Trade Down From the 4th Pick in the NBA Draft?

Outside of Zion Williamson and Ja Morant (and maybe RJ Barrett), most players in the 2019 NBA Draft don’t project to be immediate impact players. While a number (De’Andre Hunter, Coby White, Cam Reddish, etc.) look to be able to step into minor roles right away, most look to require a decent bit of seasoning before making a major impact at the NBA level.

With such a steep dropoff after the clear-cut top three, the Lakers could potentially move back a few picks in the draft, recover some future draft capital, and still get a player who can have a similar level of impact this season. With no big men projected to go off the board until around the tenth pick, the Lakers could make a move back and still wind up with one of the best big men prospects in the draft.

NBA Draft Targets If The Lakers Trade Back

If the Lakers do end up moving back in the draft, they would likely look to stay in the top ten and exchange picks with one of the unlucky teams from the draft lottery who slipped back. The Bulls could potentially look to move up and dropping back to seven would still allow the Lakers to (most likely) be in a position to grab either any big man they wanted or snag a high upside guard/wing prospect.

One possible target is Maryland’s, Bruno Fernando. Fernando looks to fit the ideal mold of the modern NBA big man as he is big, strong, athletic, and doesn’t need the rock in his hands to make an impact. With an NBA-ready frame, Fernando should be able to step in from the jump and provide quality minutes off the bench. His rebounding skills should translate to the next level immediately and while he needs to fine-tune the timing of his blocks, has the sheer athleticism to at least alter shots from day 1.

Another possible option is Texas big man Jaxson Hayes. Hayes is a bit smaller than Fernando and may require a bit more development before stepping into an everyday role but has the raw tools that make NBA scouts salivate over what he could be. An elite athlete with a massive wingspan, Hayes gets up and down the court effortlessly. Capable of making impact plays on both sides of the ball, Hayes has the potential to grow into an absolute monster. A late bloomer, Hayes didn’t see much action on a basketball court prior to his senior season of high school and is still rapidly improving. His ceiling isn’t entirely known but he should have a relatively high floor at the least.