The Los Angeles Lakers currently control only a small handful of their own future draft picks outright, and have several others either owed out or tied up in swaps, so the answer depends on whether you mean “total future picks” or “tradable picks for a big deal.”

Quick Scoop: Short Answer

If you’re asking “how many draft picks do the Lakers have going forward?” in the broad sense (their own firsts they’re expected to control), they effectively have control of most of their future first‑rounders except those already traded away or committed in swaps, but only a few of those can actually be used in trades right now due to NBA rules.

In the much more common cap‑nerd/Reddit sense—“how many firsts can the Lakers put into a blockbuster trade?”—by the summer of 2026 they are expected to be able to put together three outright first‑rounders plus three first‑round swap rights, for six total first‑round assets in a mega‑trade package.

What “how many picks” actually means

When fans on forums ask “how many draft picks do the Lakers have,” they usually mean one of three things:

  • How many own first‑round picks they still control in the coming years.
  • How many total draft selections (first and second round) they will make in upcoming drafts.
  • How many first‑round assets they can legally trade under the Stepien Rule (outright firsts plus pick swaps).

Because of past trades (notably the Anthony Davis deal and later moves), the Lakers’ future board is a patchwork of:

  • Some years where another team controls their first.
  • Some years with swap rights.
  • Some years where they still own the pick but cannot trade it yet.

That’s why different sources will give different “numbers” unless they specify which category they mean.

Mini breakdown of the key points

From recent breakdowns and fan cap‑sheet threads discussing the post‑Luka‑trade “win now” era:

  1. Near‑term drafts (mid‑2020s)
    • Certain early‑to‑mid‑2020s firsts were sent out or are controlled via swap options from previous blockbuster trades, which is why there are seasons where the Lakers either do not have a first‑round pick or only have a second.
 * Example: in at least one recent season, fans noted that “the Pelicans have our first; we only have a second this year.”
  1. The 2026 first‑round pick
    • Recent reporting indicates the Lakers are on track to retain their 2026 first‑round pick; that pick is expected to be used in the draft rather than traded beforehand because of how the protections and Stepien timing work.
  1. The 2031 “flex” first‑round pick
    • A 2031 first‑rounder is described as the only clearly tradable first in some recent analyses of what they can move right now (before 2026), making it a key chip for any medium‑term trade.
  1. Summer 2026 mega‑package potential
    • A widely cited front‑office talking point in fan discussions: by the summer of 2026, the Lakers are projected to be able to include:
   * Three tradable first‑round picks (in 2026, 2031, and 2033).
   * Three first‑round pick swaps (in 2028, 2030, and 2032).
 * That’s a total of **six** first‑round “assets” (picks + swaps) they can put into one blockbuster offer, which is often what people mean when they ask how many picks the Lakers “have” for a superstar trade.
  1. Seconds and filler picks
    • Second‑round picks in various years have been moved out in smaller trades (for role players, salary maneuvers, etc.), so the Lakers do not have a clean “30 picks over 15 years” type board that some rebuilding teams do.

Story‑style example: imagining a 2026 trade call

Picture the summer of 2026. The Lakers’ front office is on the phone with a team that’s finally ready to move a disgruntled star. The question from the other GM is simple:

“What’s your absolute best offer, picks‑wise?”

In that scenario, the Lakers can credibly say something like:

  • “We can give you three future first‑round picks outright.”
  • “On top of that, we’ll let you swap firsts with us in three other seasons.”

That’s how they get to the “six first‑round assets” number fans keep quoting in threads and articles. It doesn’t mean they magically have six extra picks; it means they can leverage their control over certain years to juice one single, all‑in deal.

Simple table: tradable first‑round assets in a future all‑in offer

Below is a simplified view of the numbers fans are usually talking about for a future mega‑trade (picks vs swaps), not a full year‑by‑year ledger of every single draft slot.

[3][1] [3] [1] [1] [1] [1]
Asset type Year How it’s used
First‑round pick 2026 Owned by Lakers; expected to be a usable trade or draft asset depending on timing.
First‑round pick 2031 Identified as a key tradable future first in cap/pick breakdowns.
First‑round pick 2033 Listed in fan breakdowns as part of a potential 2026 all‑in package.
Pick swap 2028 Right to swap first‑round position with the Lakers in that draft.
Pick swap 2030 Additional future swap right available in a mega‑trade.
Pick swap 2032 Third swap option completing the six‑asset package.

So, how should you phrase it?

If someone asks you on a forum, “how many draft picks do the Lakers have?” you can answer in a clean, fan‑friendly way like this:

“They’ve moved a bunch of picks in past trades, but going forward they still control several of their own firsts. Most importantly, by the summer of 2026 they’re expected to be able to offer three future first‑round picks plus three first‑round swaps — six total first‑round assets — in one blockbuster deal. ”

That keeps you accurate, avoids the trap of counting every single second‑rounder, and matches how cap people and beat writers are currently talking about the Lakers’ draft pick situation.

Note: Exact year‑by‑year ownership can shift if the Lakers make new trades, so for the most precise current ledger it’s always worth checking an updated pick‑tracker site or a fresh beat‑writer breakdown.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.