10 Wild and league-changing predictions for the 2023 NBA Draft

NBA Draft prospect Brandon Miller (Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports)
NBA Draft prospect Brandon Miller (Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports)
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LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

The Los Angeles Lakers will make a trade

After losing to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, the expectation around the Los Angeles Lakers is that they’re going to make a move in an attempt to improve the roster to have a real chance at winning a championship. The Lakers may not have much to trade to acquire talent, but they do have some moveable assets on the roster heading into the offseason.

The Lakers could trade the No. 17 pick, Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, or Jarred Vanderbilt. Those three players are on the roster heading into the offseason and the Lakers own their pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and one other tradable future first-round pick. It’s not much but with as many trade whispers as there are right now, you’d have to imagine they’d be able to get a deal done.

The Lakers either need a point guard or a two-way wing to take some of the pressure off of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But with the chance that Chris Paul can hit the open market, perhaps the Lakers could focus on landing a win and pivot toward a veteran option in the backcourt.