The Lakers/Sacramento pick

[Androslav]

Not much time passed since the strong Fultz/Tatum+pick trade was consumed. When it happened, my first impression was: "We could have both number 1 and 2 pick in the next years draft!" Unprecedented. Never happened before and even better, we could play in the finals this year too. Wow, what a possibility.

But some things happened in the meantime. Draft, free agency, Avery is gone, LBJ will definitely go somewhere else next year, Tatum showed his touch etc. Also, as Kevin O'Conner wrote on Ringer, the market showed clear signs of stabilization. Meaning, in short, that teams will need to have a better cap hygiene. No more drunken millionaires, billionaires in this case. Under those future conditions, the picks IMO, become even more valuable as they are still cheap (not as much as before the new CBA, but still) provide a shot at the next superstar.

If we get the Lakers pick and Brooklyn deliveres once more, both top 5, we will have to incorporate another 2 young guys in the contender. We will already have to juggle Jaylen and Jayson in the meantime, behind Hayward and Crowder as starters. 4 young guys on the contender? I am not so sure about that concept. Even more so as we will certainly be facing the tax when we sign IT (say team friendly 25 mil) and these 2 top picks (say 15 mil together). If you want to be good, you gotta pay. Are we better than GSW by then? Not yet I'm affraid. High picks? None in the immediate future, we become a bit weaker in terms of "trade pounce opportunities".

Consider this. We get the BKN pick top 5 and Lakers give the pick to Philly (projecting 7/8th spot). That way we save 6 to 8 mil capwise and we still have the unprotected Sacramento pick. Our another high value pick (4th year in a row) till possibly the unprotected Memphis (possible 5th high pick in a row) in the 2021 (1-6 in 2020 is not that sexy). I always thought that our, Danny's endgame move is to trade for A. Davis. That is like Amen. If NOLA is to break apart this year and would look at all kinds of moves - great, we have both the high picks and young talent now. Also, Cousins is a free agent. But if they are hanging, clinging on AD hard (I would) for a few more years, we have to be ready for the moment when they finally fail and do trade him. If we get the Lakers pick we are without high picks for two consecutive years.

That is why I steer to the Sacramento pick in the year 2019 and not the 2018 Lakers pick idea. We form a "picking wall" SVG. Even though I would enjoy skinning the rivals and even though that LA part of the pick is more valuable ATM. Postponing the repeater tax (still possible) by another year and being in the best possible position when AD becomes avaliable does it for me. How about you?

[CelticsElite]

There's 17 spots on a team. We can absolutely let in 2 more young guys into the team.

I like Lakers pick but it isn't the end of the world if it becomes the sac pick

[rondofan1255]

Lakers pick all day long

[Granath]

Well, I'm a bird-in-hand kind of guy. If the LAL pick comes between 2-5 then I'm using it. I just wouldn't want to risk somehow either Sac/Philly being good in 2019 and us getting a worse pick.

It'd be nice to have top 5 picks in 4 consecutive drafts but if it turns out that we have 2 next year you won't hear me complaining at all. 

[BitterJim]

Not much time passed since the strong Fultz/Tatum+pick trade was consumed. When it happened, my first impression was: "We could have both number 1 and 2 pick in the next years draft!" Unprecedented. Never happened before and even better, we could play in the finals this year too. Wow, what a possibility.

But some things happened in the meantime. Draft, free agency, Avery is gone, LBJ will definitely go somewhere else next year, Tatum showed his touch etc. Also, as Kevin O'Conner wrote on Ringer, the market showed clear signs of stabilization. Meaning, in short, that teams will need to have a better cap hygiene. No more drunken millionaires, billionaires in this case. Under those future conditions, the picks IMO, become even more valuable as they are still cheap (not as much as before the new CBA, but still) provide a shot at the next superstar.

If we get the Lakers pick and Brooklyn deliveres once more, both top 5, we will have to incorporate another 2 young guys in the contender. We will already have to juggle Jaylen and Jayson in the meantime, behind Hayward and Crowder as starters. 4 young guys on the contender? I am not so sure about that concept. Even more so as we will certainly be facing the tax when we sign IT (say team friendly 25 mil) and these 2 top picks (say 15 mil together). If you want to be good, you gotta pay. Are we better than GSW by then? Not yet I'm affraid. High picks? None in the immediate future, we become a bit weaker in terms of "trade pounce opportunities".

Consider this. We get the BKN pick top 5 and Lakers give the pick to Philly (projecting 7/8th spot). That way we save 6 to 8 mil capwise and we still have the unprotected Sacramento pick. Our another high value pick (4th year in a row) till possibly the unprotected Memphis (possible 5th high pick in a row) in the 2021 (1-6 in 2020 is not that sexy). I always thought that our, Danny's endgame move is to trade for A. Davis. That is like Amen. If NOLA is to break apart this year and would look for all kind of moves - great, we have both the high picks and young talent now. Also, Cousins is a free agent. But if they are hanging, clinging on AD hard (I would) for a few more years, we have to be ready for the moment when they finally fail and do trade him. If we get the Lakers pick we are without high picks for two consecutive years.

That is why I steer to the Sacramento pick in the year 2019 and not the 2018 Lakers pick idea. We form a "picking wall" SVG. Even though I would enjoy skinning the rivals and even though that LA part of the pick is more valuable ATM. Postponing the repeater tax (still possible) by another year and being in the best possible position when AD becomes avaliable does it for me. How about you?

If the Lakers pick doesn't convey this year, we do NOT get the Sacramento pick unprotected.  We would get the better of the Sacramento/Philly picks that year, unless one of them is #1, in which case we get the worse of the two. Basically that means it's the Sacramento pick with #1 overall protections.

For me, I take the LAL pick every time.  Guaranteed top 5 vs. a gamble with the SAC pick, which has the same upside but the downside of possibly being 6-14 or even out of the lottery? No thanks.

And, if we're still "juggling" Jaylen and Jayson in the rotation next season instead of them carving out their roles, something has gone horribly wrong. Not to mention that having a promising young player in 2019 would be much more attractive in a trade (say, for AD) than an unknown draft pick

[slamtheking]

unless LA slides a lot in the lottery, I suspect that pick will convey.  they'll either be the worst or second worst team in the West having to battle everyone else in that conference who got better.  I can't see anyone other than possibly Phx being that bad in the West.  The Nets and Orlando will probably give them a run for worst record from the East.  Indy and Chicago have taken a step backward but aren't as bad as the Nets and Magic and are also playing in a much weaker East so they'll get wins that LA won't.

I don't see an issue adding another 2 top prospects after next year's draft to the team.   I'm getting ahead of myself on this but I would suspect they'd be bigman prospects.  We only have Al and Zizic after next season (Baynes is a 1 year deal right now).  we'd have room and would add to the base we're building with Tatum and Brown.

What I think would be a potential situation is that if we get 2 top 5 picks next year, we may be in a situation to offer them up in a package for Anthony Davis.  Definitely getting ahead of myself on that since we'd have to align salaries and AD would have to insist he wants out of NO to get the ball rolling but he's about the one player I'd consider using both picks to acquire.

[mqtcelticsfan]

The Lakers pick is the obvious choice. We get that pick if it's 2-5, whereas we get the Kings/Sixers pick wherever it may fall unless it's number one. I'm not banking on that pick being in the 2-5 range.

[droopdog7]

We've had this conversation already.  Of course you take the laker pick because it means you are guaranteed 2-5.  If we get the pick the next year basically it can be anywhere from 2-30. 

Duh.

[CELTICSofBOSTON]

Please basketball gods bless us with this franchise savior:

https://t.co/GwQtQkFUrZ

Ps. I am obviously being dramatic

[droopdog7]

Please basketball gods bless us with this franchise savior:

https://t.co/GwQtQkFUrZ

Ps. I am obviously being dramatic

If he's a franchise savior, it means we can't get him unless our own pick ends up at #1. 

[GreenShooter]

Please basketball gods bless us with this franchise savior:

https://t.co/GwQtQkFUrZ

Ps. I am obviously being dramatic

If he's a franchise savior, it means we can't get him unless our own pick ends up at #1.

Ummm......try again.