Lakers Future 1st Round Draft Picks Named ‘Best Trade Assets’ in NBA

There’s no telling just how much longer LeBron James will continue to play. Turning 40 years old during the 2024-25 season, James could be entering his final season in the NBA. For the Los Angeles Lakers, that could mean that they’ll be in a much different scenario than they’re in right now.

The Lakers finished seventh in the Western Conference and were eliminated in the first round last season, but it’s tough to picture a scenario where they even find that type of success without James. They’ve been rumored to have interest in multiple players on the trade market this offseason, and with tradeable picks in 2029 and 2031, that could interest teams.

Due to the chances of them being a below-average team once James retires, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report ranked the Lakers picks as one of the 10 “best trade assets” right now.

“Timelines change fast in the NBA. That five- to seven-year window could represent three or more different iterations of the Lakers. And the more they turn things over, the more likely one of those selections becomes a high lottery pick. Joining these first-rounders together fuels their top-five ranking,” Favale wrote on July 30. “The Lakers are not the Clippers or Suns, with just one distant pick and little else to offer. They have swaps (2026, 2028, 2030), Austin Reaves and rookie Dalton Knecht to include in packages.

“Truth be told, there’s probably more of an argument to nudge these picks up a notch or two. But while the landscape of the NBA and player movement has changed, the prospect of the Lakers stumbling into good fortune because of their location and flagship status remains intact. Potential trade partners must consider the odds of a player forcing his way to Hollywood in a way they don’t have to when contemplating the value of other teams’ future first-rounders.”

Why the Lakers Should Trade Those Picks

If the Los Angeles Lakers want to put the best team around James and Anthony Davis, they’ll have to trade some of those picks. They haven’t made any additions in free agency or on the trade market, which is a major concern as they head into next season. Perhaps it’s due to the front office not wanting to move those picks.

For the Lakers, however, trading those picks could be a wise decision. Los Angeles has always been a destination for superstar free agents, and when James retires, there’s a chance that the next star who hits the market will want to play for them.

The 2029 and 2031 picks have a chance to be lottery picks one day, but if the Lakers were to win a championship in one of James’ final years, it’d be a fair trade-off. It’s not guaranteed that they ever get a player who’s as good as James even is right now, and if the idea is to win a championship, moving those picks makes sense.

Who Should They Trade Those Picks For?

If the Los Angeles Lakers do trade those picks, they should be looking for a young player who could make an impact for them throughout much of the next decade. That’s never guaranteed with players requesting trades in the NBA, but they should be targeting a younger player who could help them win now and in the future.

Lauri Markkanen would be the ideal target on the current market, but the Lakers trade assets likely won’t be enough unless the Utah Jazz view the 2029 and 2031 picks as that big of assets.