The Los Angeles Lakers made a deal to acquire the Chicago Bulls’ No. 56 pick, adding a second-round pick to the mix.
In the trade, the Lakers are sending money to the Bulls, essentially buying the draft selection.
Los Angeles is known for doing this in the second round — shopping around cash considerations for a late round draft slot.
In 2025, the Lakers did something similar. They had the No. 55 overall pick and made two trades to rise up and select Adou Thiero, the uber-athletic wing player who the organization loves.
Now, after taking Cameron Carr with their late-first-round selection, the Lakers are given the chance to add another young player to the mix.
Throughout their draft history, the Lakers have done well in the second round and undrafted free agency, finding valuable players through quality scouting.
How did the Lakers make the trade?
The Lakers were able to strike the deal because of their cap space, though once they are hard-capped next year, they will not be able to do so again, according to cap space expert Keith Smith.
Since cash is not an issue for the Lakers, they can strike this kind of trade quite easily, though all the spending projected for LA will leave them hard-capped.
“Being hard-capped does not prevent you from doing the things that cause you to be hard-capped. It means you can’t exceed that line. If you are already over that line, you can’t do those things,” Smith posted on X.
“The Lakers are hard-capped at the second apron. They can’t cross the second apron. But they aren’t anywhere near the second apron at the moment.”
In terms of needs, the Lakers have a massive hole at center, and with the team already drafting a wing, they will likely go for a big man.
However, the Lakers tend to go with the best player available, and at this point, the organization deserves fans’ trust.
The post Lakers Add Second-Round Pick After Trade With Bulls appeared first on LA Sports Report.
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