Basic logic would have the Los Angeles Lakers securing Jahlil Okafor with their No. 2 selection on draft night and living happily ever after—or at least for the next decade. Okafor is a dominant offensive force, the kind of classic paint monster that a front office can build around with ease.
But how does one divine a team’s future when the moving parts are gathering power like an encroaching storm?
A Monday trade rumor from ESPN’s Marc Stein concerned three teams with picks in the top six and featured Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins: “Sources say that the Lakers, Kings and Orlando Magic have had exploratory dialogue on a three-way Cousins trade that would land the 24-year-old in Los Angeles.