2017 NBA Draft Rumors: Lakers tried to trade down to get more assets for Paul George trade

There was talk early Tuesday that the Los Angeles Lakers might be willing to part with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft if it meant bettering their chances at acquiring Paul George from the Indiana Pacers, and it sounds like that’s exactly what they’ve done.

According to David Aldridge of NBA.com, the Lakers offered the Sacramento Kings the No. 2 pick in exchange for the No. 5 and No. 10 picks. Why the Kings didn’t take that is anyone’s guess, but what the Lakers were going to do with one of those picks is even more baffling.

Again according to Aldridge, the “Lakers would have then packaged one of the Kings’ picks with No. 27 and No. 28 along with a player in an offer to Indiana for Paul George.” However, the Kings declined that offer.

Trading down in the draft in order to get an extra lottery pick to throw at the Pacers for George hardly seems like the wisest course of action with him making it so crystal clear through leaks how “hell-bent” he is on getting to Los Angeles, but the team reportedly wants to get George now instead of waiting for him in free agency.

The Kings said no, however, so we don’t have to evaluate that decision or a similar one (yet).

Harrison Faigen is co-host of the Locked on Lakers podcast (subscribe here), and you can follow him on Twitter at @hmfaigen.