Report: Lakers exploring trade scenarios involving No. 17 overall pick

The 2023 NBA offseason has arrived, and one has to imagine that the Los Angeles Lakers are ready for a potentially busy summer.

L.A. has the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, which is a little over a week away. Despite previous buzz about the Lakers’ plans to likely keep that pick for themselves, a new report indicates that the team is exploring trade scenarios involving the pick.

“The Lakers are also exploring trade scenarios as well, especially with teams that have multiple picks,” wrote ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

As of now, it seems like L.A. could go either way when it comes to keeping or trading its top selection.

The Lakers, who are also scheduled to pick at No. 47, have certainly done their fair share of homework on some of this year’s draft prospects, and it’s probably safe to assume that the team has a few players circled as potential targets.

But if the right trade comes along, the Lakers likely won’t hesitate to pull the trigger. After all, they’re still in win-now mode as they look to get as much of possible out of the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era.

L.A. made just one selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, and it came in the second round at No. 35 overall. The team used the pick on Michigan State University product Max Christie, who was just 19 years old at the time of the selection.

Christie, now 20, played a very small role for the Lakers during his rookie season. He saw action in 41 games during the regular season and averaged 12.5 minutes per contest.

However, he certainly made the most of the opportunities he did get, and there’s some hope among fans that he could turn into a reliable piece in the near future. Christie shot 41.5 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc this past season.

The Lakers have a big offseason ahead as they look to retain some key players and perhaps add some talent from elsewhere. After a trip to the 2023 Western Conference Finals, the team is seemingly good enough to warrant some legitimate investments and reinforcements, and it’ll be up to the front office to get busy in that regard.