The No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft affords the Los Angeles Lakers a lot of flexibility this upcoming offseason. With salary cap space to spare, the team could go a number of directions when it comes to rebuilding their roster. According to Minnesota Timberwolves star Jared Dudley, free agents do not want to play for Kobe Bryant. If that is true, will roster help come from the NBA Draft?
According to ESPN's Chad Ford, the Lakers will draft either Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns with their No. 2 pick. That seems like the easy option considering both players are said to be the best two players available. However, what would happen if players like Kevin Love, Jimmy Butler or LaMarcus Aldridge make it clear they want to sign with Los Angeles in the offseason? Would that change the direction Los Angeles takes in the draft?
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Lakers could be eyeing D'Angelo Russell with the No. 2 pick over getting free agents like Rajon Rondo or Goran Dragic. Russell is considered the best point guard available and it is a position of serious need for Los Angeles. Ford has Russell going third to the Philadelphia 76ers, but there is a chance that the Lakers make the move instead. Ford believes the Lakers like Towns over Okafor and if the Minnesota Timberwolves select the Kentucky star then Los Angeles will grab a point guard.
The issue with selecting either Russell or someone like Emmanuel Mudiay, is the Lakers point guard rotation would be very young. The team is likely retaining Jordan Clarkson for the future. General manager Mitch Kupchak recently stated via the Los Angeles Times the Lakers were pleased with the type of player he was becoming, but were not fully ready to hand him the reins of the offense just yet. Drafting a rookie to pair with him would only make the rotation that much more uncertain. Whereas getting a veteran like Rondo or Dragic would potentially be the smarter pick.
If the Lakers signed someone like Love or Butler to a max contract, they likely cannot afford Rondo or Dragic if they command the same thing. That means the other position will get targeted in the NBA Draft and it could easily be a point guard rather than a defender. Kupchak said the Lakers were not opposed to trading the pick, but the return package would likely have to blow them away.