Lakers Trade NBA Draft Pick

The word is that Los Angeles Lakers are trading away their first round draft pick. They feel good about the team as it is and don't need new players this year. Coach Phil Jackson will have a solid team that meets the 13 player minimum and the Lakers look forward to a strong season.

The Lakers have the 29th pick in the 2009 NBA draft and may gain more by trading it away than adding a new player to the team. In the 2nd round the Lakers have the 42nd and 59th picks but their main strategy is to go into the 2009-10 season with the players they already have.

There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Trever Ariza, Shannon Brown and the rest of the roster make the Lakers a competitive team that will get to the NBA Finals again in 2010 but some other movement in the NBA may be stacking the deck for them to go all the way and take the Championship.

Wednesday night news spread that Shaquille O'Neal, center for the Phoenix Suns, is moving to the Cleveland Cavaliers. So what is Shaq worth now days? According to the bargain being struck by the Suns he's worth Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic , the 46th draft pick and a little bit of cash.

Shaq is not a great loss for the Suns having never quite jelled with the team but he is a game changer for the Cavaliers even if he only plays against the Orlando Magic. This trade should strengthen both teams and with LeBron James and Shaq at the center of the Cavaliers is may give the Cavaliers the edge they need to beat out Orlando. This shift could be just enough for the Lakers to move into next year's Finals again but this time against the Cavaliers.