A first-round pick is a very distant word for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers' last first-round pick dates back to the 2009 NBA draft. In terms of regular season record, the Lakers' 65 wins and 17 losses ranked first. second in the league, so the Lakers finally got the No. 29 pick.
At that time, the Lakers had just defeated the Magic in the Finals and won the championship, and had reached the Finals for two consecutive years. So in terms of lineup, the Lakers were very neat, and there was no need to make adjustments. A 29th pick The rookie couldn't play even when he came to the Lakers, so the Lakers simply traded with the Knicks and used the pick to select Tony Douglas, and then exchanged it from the Knicks for a second-round pick and millions of dollars. , in fact, it is equivalent to the Lakers helping the Knicks select Douglas.
Rich clubs like the Lakers rarely train their own rookies. They prefer to directly recruit famous superstars, mess with high-ranking rookies and then train them themselves. For the Lakers, this is a last resort. Since the beginning of the 21st century, among the first-round picks selected by the Lakers, only Bynum has received a second contract with the Lakers. Those like Farmar who can stay with the Lakers for the entire four-year rookie period are already rare. , the other first-round picks said goodbye to the Lakers in the first two years.
Since 2010, the Lakers have basically been spectators in the NBA draft for four consecutive years because they only have second-round picks. In order to acquire Gasol, the Lakers gave away first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010; then in the three-way trade between the Lakers, Rockets and Nets in 2010, the Lakers gave away the first-round draft pick in 2011 to obtain the veteran. Joe Smith; the Lakers' first-round pick in 2012 was traded from the Cavaliers for guard Sessions to replace "Old Fish" Fisher; in the year when F4 was formed, in order to get Nash, the Lakers used the 2013 The first-round picks in 2015 and 2015 were traded to the Suns. In the same year of Howard's trade, the Lakers also traded the first-round picks in 2017 to the Magic.
Trading a first-round pick for a superstar is a trade-off of the team's future for the team's present. This didn't seem like a loss at the time, and many people even felt that the Lakers made a huge profit. In Bass's plan, the Lakers would first form a "F4" team to win the championship, and then renew Howard's contract. Then Nash and Kobe would retire. The Lakers would use Howard as the core, partner with Gasol to form the twin towers, and recruit another Superstars still have the ability to win championships.
As for the issue of first-round picks, as long as the team maintains a good record, it will not be able to get high-ranking picks. The value of picks outside the top 20 is not that high.
It's just that Buss made a mistake in counting cards, the Lakers' F4 did not win the championship, Howard went to the Rockets, Nash suffered from injuries for many years, and Kobe also reached the end of his career. Then Gasol joined the Bulls, and the Lakers were completely reduced to a team. The team is weak and does not have a first-round pick, so it lacks the bargaining chips to trade big-name stars.
However, because league rules also prohibit any team from trading their first-round picks for the next two consecutive years, one of the picks is said to be "protected," so the team sells the picks every other year. .
Take the 2015 first-round pick traded by the Lakers to the Suns as an example. It was a top-five pick, so as long as the Lakers could get into the top five, they could keep the pick. At that time, the Lakers were very lucky and got it. The second pick, and then decisively selected D'Angelo Russell, missing out on future stars like Bol Burgess, Myles Turner and Devin Booker.
Although the Lakers keep the 2015 first-round pick, the Suns will not lose money. This pick will be postponed to 2016 and then handed over to the Suns. According to the contract at the time, 2016 and 2017 were top-three protected. , there is no protection in 2018, which means that as long as the Lakers get the top three picks in 2016 and 2017, they can also keep the first-round picks. If they stay in these two years, then the Lakers' first-round picks in 2018 Power must be given to the sun.
In 2016, because the Lakers' record was bad enough and they were lucky enough, they got the second pick, so they kept the draft pick again.
But in 2017, if the Lakers still want to keep the draft picks, they must continue to mess up and strive to get into the top three again. Only in this way can they keep the 2017 draft picks. Therefore, the Lakers traded away the team's leading scorer Louis Williams. Si, let the team become worse and strive to be at the bottom of the league.
At the same time, the Lakers still owe the Magic a first-round pick in the Howard trade, so if the Lakers cannot keep the 2017 pick, they will need to send another 2019 first-round pick to the Magic. The reason why it is 2019 instead of 2018 is also because the league does not allow a team to have no first-round picks for two consecutive years, so 2018 must be avoided.
…
2013 is considered a small year for the draft, and the upcoming 2014 draft is considered a big year for the draft. The quality of the rookies participating in the draft has been greatly improved compared to last year.
Andrew Wiggins from Canada was not only the National High School Player of the Year in 2013, he was also elected Mr. Basketball of the United States. Many experts even believe that Wiggins will become the second LeBron James.
Jabari Parker won the National High School Player of the Year in 2012, and was also the fourth non-senior in history to win this honor. The previous three were LeBron James, Greg Oden and Bu Landon Knight. In his freshman year, Parker was successfully selected to the NCAA All-NBA First Team. He was the only freshman player selected.
Cameroonian athlete Joel Embiid only started professional basketball training when he was 17 years old, but his physical fitness is very abnormal. As a big man, he has a soft touch and good agility. He was once considered a popular candidate for the No. 1 pick. , some experts even believe that Embiid's potential is greater than that of "thick eyebrow brother" Anthony Davis.
These three players would have been the top picks in other years, but now they are in the same year. Therefore, for the team that draws the top three picks, no matter who chooses any of them, they will definitely make money.
In addition, there are Dante Essam, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Noah Vonleh, Doug McDermott, Jr. Excellent players such as Payton have also participated in this year's draft. If these rookies are placed in the draft year, they all have the ability to hit the top three.
Of course, these players basically have no chance with the Lakers. They are all popular candidates in the lottery, and the Lakers got the 21st overall pick this season.
Although the Lakers are eighth in the Western Conference, their record is 48 wins and 33 losses. If this record is placed in the Eastern Conference, they would be ranked third behind the Pacers and Heat. In comparison, teams such as the Raptors and Bulls in the Eastern Conference have also entered the playoffs and are ranked high in the Eastern Conference. Their draft picks are all ahead of the Lakers.
However, at the level of rookies in the draft, there is still a good chance of finding a competent starting player with the 21st pick, and even rookies before the 40th pick can stay in the NBA.
"My dear general manager, do you have any good suggestions for our first-round pick this year?" Bass asked.
"I have two plans. The league has just announced the invitation list for the Little Green Room in the draft. There are 21 players in total. They all have the potential to enter the lottery. I looked at the list of players and they are all good. "We have the 21st pick of the draft, so my first plan is to select a player in the little green room," Kupchak said.
The Little Green Room is equivalent to the "VIP room" during the draft. Before the start of the draft every year, some rookie players who are participating in the draft will be invited to enter the Little Green Room. These invited talented players will sit in a green room during the draft and wait for the president to call their names. Being on this list means that he is favored by many teams and has a great chance of becoming a high-ranking rookie player.
There are also many situations where people enter the green room but are not selected, which would be more embarrassing. For example, Jordan was originally expected to enter the lottery, but he was not selected by the Clippers until the 35th pick in the second round. Selected. This incident made Jordan unhappy for several years.
"Choosing from the Little Green House is indeed the safest plan." Little Bas nodded, and then asked: "What about the second plan?"
"The second option is to choose an inside player, a power forward or a center, which will help us renew Jordan Hill. And if Jordan Hill fails to renew, we also have a substitute plan." Kupchak spoke.
Kupchak used an old trick experienced in the NBA. By selecting a rookie player in the same position, he lowered the price of the player who was about to renew his contract. Sometimes the team will also sign some free agents in the same position to lower the price of the players who are about to renew their contracts. Some more conservative players will choose to renew their contracts at a reduced price.
For example, if Jordan Hill wants a big contract, when the Lakers choose an inside player, they are telling Jordan Hill that the Lakers have found someone who can replace you. If you know what you are interested in, don't ask for a high salary. number.
Everyone in the meeting room nodded. From the perspective of team management, everyone agreed with Kupchak's approach. Bass Jr. even asked: "Do you have any specific suitable candidates?"
“Among the 21 players who entered the Little Green Room, Adrian Payne and Nurkic are both excellent inside players. In addition, Mitch McGary of the University of Michigan was once ranked second in the national high school class of 2012. , he is very good at grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. The only hidden danger is that he underwent a back surgery last year. O'Bryant of Louisiana State University can play power forward and small forward. He has entered the NCAA Southeastern Conference for two consecutive years. a team."
"In addition, Swiss player Clint Capela is also a good candidate. He played in the French LNB league last season, averaging 21.4 minutes per game, scoring 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.8 assists. Block is the winner of the LNB League's Best Young Player and Most Improved Award. These are our backup candidates." Kupchak introduced again and again, and others in the conference room flipped through the documents in their hands to check these players. data of.
Among the players mentioned by Kupchak, Zhang Guan is most familiar with Capela. After Howard left the Rockets, he replaced Howard as the Rockets' starting center and achieved very good data. Although Capela La has no offensive means and is not accurate in free throws, but as a blue-collar player, he is still qualified. At least he can adapt to the Rockets' offensive system.
With the Lakers' 21st pick, they won't lose money if they choose Capela. Capela can be considered a talent. But the Lakers already have Whiteside. What Capela can't do, Whiteside can do. What Capela can do, Whiteside can do better. Instead of cultivating Capela, It would be more cost-effective to train Whiteside.
At this time, Zhang Guan suddenly remembered a name, and he asked: "I know there is a Serbian inside player named Nikola Jojic. He has also announced his candidacy this year, right?"
"You are talking about the Serbian star of hope. Our scouts paid attention to this player in the first half of the season. At that time, there was even an assessment that he would enter the lottery." Kupchak paused. Then he said: "However, he has never played in the United States, but has been living in Europe. For such overseas players, before they have achieved results, we will be more cautious in our selection and generally will not give them a high salary. Order."
Kupchak said it tactfully, but Zhang Guan understood that Kupchak did not think Jojic was worth a first-round pick.
For those overseas players who did not grow up in the United States, if they have not produced decent results, they will not be able to get a high pick even if they participate in the NBA draft. For example, Ginobili was selected with the 57th overall pick in the second round of 1999. He only landed in the NBA after being elected as the MVP of the European Basketball League; another example is Scola, who was selected with the 56th overall pick in the second round of 2002 and won the After winning two Spanish League regular season MVP awards, he joined the Rockets. There is also Gasol, who was selected with the 48th overall pick in the second round of 2007. He only received the contract from the Grizzlies after winning the Spanish regular season MVP.
Therefore, if young overseas players have not played in the United States and have not performed in other professional leagues, they are worth a pick in the middle or late second round. NBA teams choose them and buy lottery tickets. almost.
But if you have already achieved results before participating in the draft, it will be different. In 2001, Gasol was already the star of Barcelona; in 2002, Yao had already dominated the CBA; in 2006, Bargnani was already the number one player in the Italian League, so they could all get high picks and even... Number one scholar.
Jojic is only 19 years old this year and has not yet shown his prominence in the European professional leagues. Although he is regarded as the star of hope in Serbia, there are too many talented young people in the United States. In the eyes of NBA team general managers, Jokic is just a "lottery ticket", worth a second-round pick at most. What's more, even very good European players will not adapt to the NBA.
Zhang Guan knew, however, that Jokic should be regarded as the biggest "miss" in this draft. Jokic scored 10 points and 7 rebounds in his rookie season, and his numbers improved to 16 points and 9 rebounds in the second year. A near-double-double in rebounds and 4.6 assists, which he averaged in 27 minutes per game.
Jokic's efficiency value reached 26.4 in his second year, which was equivalent to Love's peak season. Comparing players at the same position, Anthony Davis' efficiency value in his second year is 26.5, and Anthony Towns' efficiency value in his second year is 25. However, both Anthony Davis and Towns are the top picks, and both are Among the top picks, Jokic is just a second-round pick.
Kupchak asked: "Do you think highly of this Serbian?"
"Yes." Zhang Guan nodded and continued; "I think he is the most underestimated player in this draft. The young man Zhang Guan has comprehensive skills but is also flexible. He can play high-post offense and can also play He attacks in the low post and has excellent passing ability. The most important thing is that he has good three-point shooting ability. This is a big man who can shoot three-pointers."
Zhang Guan said and glanced at D'Antoni deliberately, and D'Antoni indeed showed an interested look.
A big man who can pass the ball and shoot three-pointers is obviously the person D'Antoni needs most, so D'Antoni coughed dryly and said, "If possible, can you get a detailed scouting report?"
"Okay." Kupchak nodded. He could see that D'Antoni was quite tempted, so Kupchak then reminded: "An overseas player is really not worthy of us using a first-round pick. But we You can try to trade for a second-round pick from another team, which will cost some cash."
Kupchak said, looking at Bass Jr., obviously asking for Bass Jr.'s opinion.
Spending money on second-round picks is a relatively loss-making thing. 2014 is another big year for the draft, and the price of draft picks will definitely be relatively high. The value of the 40th or so pick in the second round is about US$2.5 million, which is equivalent to the value of the basic salary of two veterans. Therefore, unless there is a player that they really like, the team will not spend this wasted money to "buy lottery tickets."
Little Bas thought for a few seconds, and finally put on a posture of just being happy, and nodded in agreement. A wealthy team like the Lakers always spends one to two hundred million U.S. dollars a year. Spending two to three million on a lottery ticket to make Zhang Guan happy is not considered a loss. Anyway, as long as Zhang Guan is willing to stay with the Lakers, the Lakers can earn back these millions in minutes.
When it comes to spending money, Bass is quite generous.
"In this case, I will contact the teams interested in selling second-round picks and listen to their offers." Kupchak said.
"Mainly contact the Philadelphia 76ers. They have a No. 3 pick this year and the 10th overall pick. They also have five second-round picks, which means they have 7 picks this year. So many picks. If they can't use it themselves, they will definitely be willing to sell it." Zhang Guan paused, then reminded: "We only need the 39th overall pick in their hands."
Kupchak silently made a few strokes in his book. He originally wanted to mention a rookie named Jordan Clarkson, but since the Lakers are preparing to select Jokic in the second round, Kupchak also There is no need to mention Clarkson again. This guard who originally played for the Lakers passed by the Lakers because of this.
Thanks to Pi Jin and Zhao Lao Yao for the 10,000 point reward!
(End of chapter)