As the Lakers work through the beginning of the offseason, they reportedly have two clear goals to complete by the 2024 NBA Draft.
Lakers Hope to Accomplish Two Goals by Draft Night
Goal #1: Hire New Head Coach
Rumors have spiraled over who exactly the Lakers’ next head coach will be. However, despite the laundry list of candidates, they’re prioritizing experience in their search. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha noted that the team is hoping to enter the draft with a decision already made, with that new hire playing a role in the team’s selections:
“From what I’ve been told, the Lakers’ plan is to have a coach in place by the NBA Draft, which is June 26th…You want a coach who is going to be present during those discussions, that planning, and that whole process. The Lakers’ plan is to have someone in place by then. That gives them about six and a half, seven weeks to figure this out.”
He added that the Lakers will be monitoring the statuses of their top two candidates—Clippers head coach Ty Lue and former-player-turned-broadcaster J.J. Redick—as well as some lead assistants who are still coaching in the playoffs.
Despite the Lakers’ timeline growing more concrete, expect the process to last as long as Buha mentioned, with an announcement coming sooner rather than later.
Goal #2: Trade Their First-Round Pick
One of the moves the Lakers’ new coach will have to help with is choosing whether to part with LA’s first-round pick. Buha reported that the team intends to package pick #17 in a trade for either a third star or role player.
“Yes, the Lakers are going to look to move that #17 pick on draft night. It will be the first time they could use all three of their tradable first-round picks, and it’s a prime opportunity for them to potentially get either a third star or improve the roster by attaching one, or two, or three of those picks alongside players under contract to upgrade the starting lineup or the bench.
My understanding is that they are going to be aggressive, and they’re going to be active, and they’re going to try and use that [first-round pick].”
Buha said the Lakers tried doing the same thing last year before selecting Jalen Hood-Schifino with the 17th pick in the 2023 Draft. The point guard was underwhelming in his rookie season, and going forward, the Lakers may choose to pursue experienced players instead of developing young talent.
This time around, the Lakers could target a third star to help lead LA as LeBron James’s career winds down, with names such as Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and Donovan Mitchell being mentioned the most. All of them have clear pros and cons when it comes to possibly joining the Lakers. However, GM Rob Pelinka has remained committed to bringing winning basketball back to the organization. A move like this could prove it.
The Hawks and Cavs could demand a haul in exchange for their stars, so the Lakers may have to part with all three of those first-round picks—plus several quality players—as a result.
