Lakers swung and missed lol! 2018 LA pick value increases

[CelticsElite]

PG13 could have been traded to the Lakers and destroyed the value of that 2018 pick

That pick is now gold. Lakers traded Deangelo Russell with the idea of creating space  to get George this season. They punted badly and LAKERS ARE GOING TO BE BAD. It remains to be seen if they have marginally gotten better with "made of glass" Lopez.. Lakers won't be dead last but that means we have very good chances of grabbing a high lotto talent next year. Or moving the pick for an available star talent. We didn't trade a bunch of firsts for a rental of PG

[Chris22]

It does look like the Lakers will suck this season.

[RJ87]

Kinda hard to get excited about draft picks when your GM just traded the #1 pick.

[CelticsElite]

Kinda hard to get excited about draft picks when your GM just traded the #1 pick.

he doubled down for next year

If the season ends the same way next year with Brooklyn last and Lakers 3rd worst, we could literally end up with the 1st and 2nd picks of the draft. Danny can pick 2 of his liking of the top 4 elite prospects; Porter / Doncic / Ayton /Bamba

[obnoxiousmime]

Actually the Lakers won. George wasn't traded to a city that he will probably want to re-sign in, or a team that is good enough to win a title. This increases the odds he will go to LA next year as a free agent, when the Lakers can get him without having to give up assets. They held firm and refused to include Ingram and Ball in any deals, even though Indiana desperately tried to make it seem like George was going to be traded here or there for this or that in an attempt to get teams to increase their offers.

The only thing that would have been a bigger win is if he had been dealt directly to the Lakers, but that's not realistic. Besides Ingram and Ball they don't really have any great assets.

[mrceltics2013]

The west got stronger with butler and George and the east got weaker. So watch out y'all. Imagine if Hayward resigns?? Then the lakers pick is def gold although we would still be in trouble.

[kraidstar]

Actually the Lakers won. George wasn't traded to a city that he will probably want to re-sign in, or a team that is good enough to win a title. This increases the odds he will go to LA next year as a free agent, when the Lakers can get him without having to give up assets. They held firm and refused to include Ingram and Ball in any deals, even though Indiana desperately tried to make it seem like George was going to be traded here or there for this or that in an attempt to get teams to increase their offers.

The only thing that would have been a bigger win is if he had been dealt directly to the Lakers, but that's not realistic. Besides Ingram and Ball they don't really have any great assets.

I agree this is an almost best-case scenario for the Lakers.

That OKC team will be second-round fodder at best.

And they have little means of landing a third star. Basically they are stuck.

George will figure this out quickly, and he'll be out of there.

Whether or not he goes to the Lakers is up for debate. But I'd bet anything he doesn't stay in OKC.

[Ilikesports17]

Lakers win because PG is less likely to resign in OKC than he was the other leading suitors.

Celtics benefit in that LA will suck next year.