
Letting Go?
Pau Gasol's trade value won't get any higher, but what about his value to L.A.? Should the Lakers trade him now or hang on to their center? Vote
He accepts uncertainty »Lakers Index »
February 18, 2009: The Lakers send Chris Mihm to the Memphis Grizzlies for a protected 2013 second-round pick.
Remember Chris Mihm? He played five seasons with the Lakers, but was injured for much of his tenure. At the time of the trade he was a shadow of his former self, averaging 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game. The trade was essentially a giveaway in order to get Mihm off the Lakers’ books, as reflected in the pick protection -- it is top-55 protected, so Memphis keeps it unless it is one of the last five picks in the draft. If the pick isn’t conveyed this year, then the Grizzlies don’t owe the Lakers anything.
December 11, 2011: The Lakers trade Lamar Odom and a 2012 second round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for future draft considerations.
In this trade the Lakers sent away Odom (who asked out after being included in the aborted Chris Paul trade) and what turned out to be the 55th pick in the 2011 draft. The pick was used to select Darius Johnson-Odom, whom the Lakers reacquired for cash in a subsequent trade. The Lakers received a first round draft pick (protected 1-20 through 2017 and unprotected in 2018) which they later sent to Houston along with Derek Fisher in exchange for Jordan Hill. Dallas also received the right to swap its 2013 second round pick with the Lakers’ second round pick.
In summary, while the Lakers won’t have a first round pick in this June’s draft, they will have the lesser of their own and Dallas’ second round pick, and also will have Memphis’ pick if it’s one of the bottom five.
Shifting our focus to future years, the following trades affect the Lakers’ draft picks:
July 11, 2012: The Lakers traded a 2013 first round pick, a 2015 first round pick, two second round picks and cash to Phoenix for Steve Nash.
In the trade, which brought Steve Nash to LA and ensured that the Lakers will not have a first round pick in this year’s draft, the team also sent a future first round pick and two second round picks to the Suns. The first round pick will be conveyed no sooner than 2015 due to the Ted Stepien rule. It is protected 1-5 in 2015, protected 1-3 in 2016 and 2017, and unprotected in 2018.
The Lakers will also give the Suns the second round pick it acquired from the Denver Nuggets in 2011 for Chukwudiebere Maduabum, which is top-40 protected in 2013 and unprotected in 2014. Finally, the Lakers own 2014 pick goes to Minnesota, after the Suns subsequently traded it to the Timberwolves.
August 10, 2012: In a four-team trade, the Lakers acquired Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark from Orlando, sending out Andrew Bynum, Christian Eyenga, Josh McRoberts, a future first round pick and a future second round pick.
The first round pick can be conveyed no sooner than 2017, and no sooner than two years following the conveyance of the pick to Phoenix due to the Ted Stepien rule. It is also protected 1-4 in 2017 and 2018, and unprotected in 2019.
Since the Phoenix pick may not be conveyed until 2018, and the Lakers could not trade their 2020 pick due to the Seven Year rule, the first round pick to Orlando is replaced with second round picks in 2017 and 2018 if Phoenix doesn’t get its pick by 2017.
The second round pick is protected top-40 in 2015. If the Lakers keep this pick then they no longer owe the Magic a second round pick.
Putting it all together, the Lakers’ future draft obligations read as follows:
*2013: Whatever first round pick the Lakers end up with will go to Phoenix. It will have the lesser of its own and Dallas’ second round picks, and will have Memphis’ second round pick if it falls 56-60.
*2014: The Lakers will have their own first round pick, but will not have a second round pick.
*2015: The Lakers will have their own first round pick if it is in the top five, otherwise it will go to Phoenix. The Lakers will keep their second round pick if it’s 31-40, otherwise it goes to Orlando.
*2016: The Lakers will have their own first round pick if they sent their 2015 pick to Phoenix or the pick is 1-5, otherwise it goes to Phoenix. They have their own second round pick.
*2017: This pick goes to Phoenix if the Lakers haven’t already sent a pick to the Suns and it’s not in the top three. If they sent a pick to Phoenix in 2015 then this pick goes to Orlando if it’s not in the top five -- otherwise they keep it. If the Lakers don’t send a first round pick to Phoenix by 2017 then Orlando gets the Lakers’ 2017 second round pick; otherwise the Lakers keep it.
*2018: If the Lakers haven’t yet given Phoenix a first round pick then the Suns get it unconditionally. If the Lakers sent a first round pick to Phoenix by 2016, haven’t yet sent a pick to Orlando, and the pick is not in the top five, then Orlando gets it, otherwise the Lakers keep it. If the Lakers don’t send a first round pick to Phoenix by 2017 then Orlando gets the Lakers’ 2018 second round pick, otherwise the Lakers keep it.
*2019: If the Lakers sent a first round pick to Phoenix by 2017 and Orlando has not received a first round pick then Orlando gets their first round pick, otherwise the Lakers keep it. The Lakers have their own second round pick.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY SportsIn the last two games, Kobe Bryant has almost doubled the number of career games in which he's had more assists than field-goal attempts.
Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty ImagesKobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol -- and the rest of the Lakers -- played one of their most complete games of the season Friday.| POINTS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Kobe Bryant
|
|||||||||||
| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| Rebounds | D. Howard | 12.4 | ||||||||||
| Assists | S. Nash | 6.7 | ||||||||||
| Steals | M. World ... | 1.6 | ||||||||||
| Blocks | D. Howard | 2.4 | ||||||||||