The Los Angeles Lakers will not be trading their 2031 first-round pick ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. This news comes just days after the Lakers shocked the NBA community when they landed Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis.
Lakers Trade Rumors: 2031 First-Round Pick Will Not Be Used For A “Patch-Up Role Player”
Prior to trading Davis, the Lakers already had a weakened frontcourt due to injuries. However, they reportedly have no interest in trading their 2031 first-round pick to fix this problem.
Fred Katz, Joe Vardon, and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Monday that there are not many available centers who “appeal” to the front office, and the Lakers “have no plans to give their best remaining draft asset away for a patch-up role player.”
25 years old with quite the resume 👀 pic.twitter.com/AyUMOwz4ZO
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 4, 2025
Although Doncic will be able to help the Lakers when he returns from a calf strain, the organization has been more focused on securing a brighter future than solely pursuing a win-now mode.
Doncic, who turns 26 on Feb. 28, will become the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future and gives the purple and gold a superstar to build around even after the 40-year-old LeBron James retires.
Front Office Intends To Build Around Luka Doncic
According to Spotrac, James is signed through just the remainder of this season and has a player option for the 2025-26 season. This is part of the two-year, $101.36 million max contract that he signed during the offseason.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirmed recently that the Lakers are planning to build around their newly acquired star.
“Every year of LeBron’s career, 21-plus seasons, everything the teams have done when he’s on it has been about him,” Windhorst said on Get Up. “That is no longer the case. Everything the Lakers will do going forward will be about No. 77. They are now Luka Doncic’s team.”
If building a championship contender around Doncic is the Lakers’ top priority, trading away the one valuable draft pick they have for a big man might not be the best plan.
Despite this latest development, the Lakers have been linked to three centers: Washington Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas, Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, and Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III.
Williams is among the cheaper big men available on the trade market.
