NBA Draft Rumors: Lakers ‘unlikely’ to trade out of No. 2 pick

The 2017 NBA Draft is just days away and the Los Angeles Lakers remain very active on the trade market. With rumors and buzz around Paul George’s deteriorating situation with the Indiana Pacers continuing to mount, it will be intriguing to see if the Lakers elect to wait for him to hit the free agent market next summer or attempt to acquire him this offseason.

For the first time in years, the Lakers have a collection of assets and young talent that gives them some flexibility on the trade market. Only Brandon Ingram has reportedly earned the “untouchable” label from management, but to this point it appears they are unwilling to break up the young core.

Instead, they want to add the the foundation already in place, starting with the No. 2 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, it is unlikely the Lakers trade out of the second overall selection, even though there have been inquiries about it.

It remains to be seen who the Lakers are going to select with the No. 2 pick, but it appears they are at least starting to lock in on someone they feel is valuable enough to prevent them from trading out of that slot. Will it be Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson or perhaps someone else? We will know after just a few more days.

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