There was lots of talk leading up to the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft that the Los Angeles Lakers were going to be aggressive in trying to make a significant trade. They had the ability to trade up to three first-round picks in order to land a third star or borderline star.
In the end, they kept their 2024 first-round pick, which fell at No. 17, and used it on Dalton Knecht. Knecht, a sharpshooter deluxe who can also attack the basket, was projected by many to go in the top 10, so the Lakers apparently got a big steal.
Still, general manager Rob Pelinka admitted afterward that he explored trade scenarios while also acknowledging the difficulty of actually pulling one off because the NBA’s salary cap has become even more suffocating.
Via ESPN:
“We explored every upgrade we could to make our team better,” Pelinka said. “I do think if you polled all 30 GMs across the league, just in general, trades have become more difficult because of the new CBA system. And so, there’s less access, I think, to making those big moves than maybe there was under the old system. But it didn’t keep us from trying to look at everything and ways to put ourselves in ways to be in position to be better. But even this pick alone I feel like gives us a big boost, and we’re excited about it.”
Of course, there is still the possibility Los Angeles pulls off a trade, and perhaps a major one, within the next few weeks.