The Los Angeles Lakers do not have a pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. That could very well change before the festivities wrap on June 23rd.
According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, the Lakers have made it known that they are interested in buying back into the proceedings:
“L.A. has been open about using its remaining cash stash (the Lakers can put $4.7 million into a trade between now and July 1) to buy its way into the second round, where the Lakers currently do not have a pick.”
The Lakers have that $4.7 million lying around thanks to their decision to waive DeAndre Jordan on Feb. 28, rather than offering a team cash to take the veteran center in a trade. (Although, as Hollinger notes, Los Angeles could have conducted a pre-arranged trade that shipped out Jordan and enabled them to buy a second-round pick with the money processing after July 1 – when the league's new cap year begins — but that scenario would have affected their financial flexibility in 2022-23.)
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Either way, the Lakers would be prudent to get involved on draft night considering their lack of cap space, trade assets, young prospects, and impressive developmental track record. (Jesse Buss, who heads the scouting department and G-League squad is regarded as a rising star in the front office.)
The Lakers didn't make a selection in the 2021 NBA Draft after trading their first-rounder in the multi-team Russell Westbrook blockbuster. Yet, they were able to sign free agent Austin Reaves after the draft (Reaves declined the option to be picked in the second round, knowing the Lakers were interested). Reaves was a rare bright spot in 2020-21.
In 2019, the Lakers traded a future pick and cash to the Orlando Magic for the 46th pick in order to nab Klutch client Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Lakers are reportedly interested in guard Izaiah Brockington, who is projected to be a late second-rounder. Los Angeles recently hosted six late-draft prospects for workouts, and will surely bring in more players in the coming weeks.
The Lakers parted with their 2022 first-rounder in the Anthony Davis deal. They don't have a second-rounder thanks to the 2019 transaction that sent Mo Wagner to the Washington Wizards, which helped clear cap space for the AD acquisition.
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