LOS ANGELES _ In New York, just after the Los Angeles Lakers secured the second overall pick in this year's NBA draft through the lottery, General Manager Rob Pelinka made two things clear:
1. He'll listen if teams want to talk about trades.
2. It's unlikely the second pick in the draft gets moved.
In the month since the Lakers have been taking and making calls about trading the pick, said a source who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. They've had scenarios presented to them, and offered their own.
This has been ongoing as the Lakers wrap up their work leading up to the draft June 22. In addition to the second overall pick, the Lakers have the 28th pick in the first round.
Thursday, they met with University of Washington guard Markelle Fultz, widely expected to be taken first overall by the Boston Celtics.
Friday they'll conduct draft workouts and also visit Lonzo Ball at a location of his choosing for a second meeting. The Lakers have also held double workouts with Kansas forward Josh Jackson. They met with De'Aaron Fox at his Pro Day in Thousand Oaks, at the NBA draft combine in Chicago and had him in for a workout at the Lakers facility this week.
Ball, whom Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson compared to himself in a radio interview last month, will work out near his home in Chino Hills. The former UCLA star helped lead the Bruins to a 31-5 record a year after the program went 15-17.
Fox had an impressive showing in the NCAA Sweet 16 against Ball's Bruins, in a game that Johnson and Pelinka both attended.
And Jackson has recently been receiving greater attention from the Lakers.
It is unusual for a top-three pick to be traded once the draft order has been set.
The Portland Trail Blazers were involved in such trades in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 they traded away the No. 3 pick, the rights to Deron Williams, to the Utah Jazz. In 2006, they acquired the draft rights to Lamarcus Aldridge at No. 2.
Memphis traded for the rights to Pau Gasol at No. 3 in 2001, and the same year, Chicago traded with the Los Angeles Clippers for the rights to Tyson Chandler at No. 2. Memphis also made such a trade to acquire O.J. Mayo at No. 3 in 2008.
Perhaps the most significant trade of top-three picks came more than 20 years ago. In 1993, Orlando acquired the rights to Penny Hardaway at No. 3 and sent the rights to Chris Webber at No. 1 to the Golden State Warriors.
What could the Lakers offer in trade in addition to their picks? They've talked about not giving up their future in order to address their present. But Johnson recently appeared on ESPN Radio and identified Brandon Ingram, the second overall pick last year, as their only untouchable player.
