Lakers: The Lakers haven't kept a first round draft pick since trading for Pau

[racm]

2008: traded to Memphis as part of the Pau Gasol trade, pick became Donté Greene
2009: drafted Toney Douglas, immediately traded him to New York
2010: traded to Memphis as part of the Pau Gasol trade, pick became Greivis Vasquez
2011: traded to New Jersey as part of the Sasha Vujacic trade, pick became JaJuan Johnson
2012: traded to Cleveland as part of the Ramon Sessions trade, pick became Jared Cunningham
2013: traded to Cleveland as part of the Ramon Sessions trade, pick became Sergey Karasev

So we've had 3 scrubs, a serviceable rotation player, and a borderline starter from that group. That said, this refusal to use the draft - where a team can acquire young talent on the cheap as opposed to overpaying for vets - is what ultimately doomed the Suns to mediocrity.

Fwiw, Phoenix traded away Luol Deng and Rajon Rondo while Nash was winning MVPs

[Thread]

2008: traded to Memphis as part of the Pau Gasol trade, pick became Donté Greene
2009: drafted Toney Douglas, immediately traded him to New York
2010: traded to Memphis as part of the Pau Gasol trade, pick became Greivis Vasquez
2011: traded to New Jersey as part of the Sasha Vujacic trade, pick became JaJuan Johnson
2012: traded to Cleveland as part of the Ramon Sessions trade, pick became Jared Cunningham
2013: traded to Cleveland as part of the Ramon Sessions trade, pick became Sergey Karasev

So we've had 3 scrubs, a serviceable rotation player, and a borderline starter from that group. That said, this refusal to use the draft - where a team can acquire young talent on the cheap as opposed to overpaying for vets - [[[is what ultimately doomed the Suns to mediocrity.]]]

Fwiw, Phoenix traded away Luol Deng and Rajon Rondo while Nash was winning MVPs

They've never rung. They're mediocrity personified.

[racm]

They've never rung. They're mediocrity personified.

Your team and I have been in the same boat since 6-24. Neither have won the last game they played.

That said, with Kupcake deciding to waive your only big wing, and the young guys either getting waived or bolting for Cleveland, what do you do?

[Thread]

Your team and I have been in the same boat since 6-24. Neither have won the last game they played.

That said, with Kupcake deciding to waive your only big wing, and the young guys either getting waived or bolting for Cleveland, what do you do?

It's a sea change, a structural tidal wave. The CBA has hit us full blast.

It can't be like it was.

I took the victories upright & clean, I'll take the losses in the same way. I'm not afraid to lose. I was always afraid not to win.

[racm]

It's a sea change, a structural tidal wave. The CBA has hit us full blast.

It can't be like it was.

I took the victories upright & clean, I'll take the losses in the same way. I'm not afraid to lose. I was always afraid not to win.

Tbh I don't think Kupcake will ever draft a first round guy unless it was at gunpoint.

Since 2008 we've had:

2008: George Hill
2009: No first rounder
2010: James Anderson
2011: Cory Joseph (and Kawhi Leonard from Indiana for Hill)
2012: No first rounder
2013: That French kid

We've got more young talent in the pipeline.