Unfortunately, the options are slim for L.A. to trade into the first round.
It's far from surprising that the Lakers are hoping to trade up, as their No. 1 issue has been that they lack perimeter youth and athleticism. Even if they were to re-sign center Dwight Howard, that would remain a crippling issue.
An issue that has been present for at least the past three seasons.
Still, the 2013 NBA draft is one of extraordinarily weak proportions when it comes to star value. With the Lakers limited on trade pieces, that creates the potential for a first-round draft choice to be of lesser value than what L.A. would be dealing.
That's the first obstacle for L.A. to overcome in its quest to get younger.
Realistic Trade Pieces
When it comes right down to it, the Los Angeles Lakers will only be able to trade into the first round if they match their trade piece with realistic value. As it presently stands, the Lakers are short on attractive trade bait and may not be able to find the reciprocation they desire.
The question is, who are the Lakers' realistic trade pieces?
For starters, the walking rumor mill, Pau Gasol, is certain to be on the table as the Lakers look to move up. After all, Gasol is one of the most commonly mentioned names on the open market, regardless of the team we're speaking about.
The question is, could the Lakers actually land a draft choice that matches Gasol's value? More importantly, could the even come close?
It's hard to imagine they would.
The only other options appear to be Steve Nash and Metta World Peace, who remain valuable commodities. Nash may have experienced a down year st...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
