Last Wednesday, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie reported that the Los Angeles Lakers' first-round pick "is another one many believe is ripe to be moved as the Lakers scour the trade market for immediate upgrades around LeBron James and Anthony Davis." That pick currently sits at No. 17 overall.

Last Tuesday, Heavy's Sean Deveney reported that an NBA general manager called Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen a "dream target" for the Lakers.

"There are a few teams that, when you look at it, he is going to be their dream target," the GM said. "The Lakers, you get a guy like him with Anthony Davis, and that's perfect for both guys. The Knicks would love to get hold of him. The Heat, again, put him with Bam (Adebayo) and that is the pair you want to build around, you can send Jimmy (Butler) wherever he wants.

"Just the floor-spacing aspect of it, it's so valuable. He could make things easier on your stars."

Let's put the two reports together: Markkanen would be a solid fit in L.A., and the Lakers should consider packaging that No. 17 overall pick (along with other assets) to get him.

Markkanen, 27, just averaged 23.2 points on 48.0 percent shooting (39.9 percent from three) and 8.2 rebounds last season. The year before, Markkanen earned his first-ever All-Star appearance and won Most Improved Player honors.

Obviously, he's a prized player. But he also has just one year left on his deal at $18 million, and the Jazz can't afford to lose him for nothing. Plus, he's on a rebuilding team that needs future assets.

As for whether Jazz CEO of basketball operations / alternate governor Danny Ainge would listen, one Western Conference executive believes so.

"They'll listen," the exec told Deveney. "They always listen. Danny's reputation is overblown. He wants a championship team, he wants to do what Sam Presti has done in Oklahoma City. He knows he is a long way off still. They'll be tough and the price will be high but that's how it should be."

The price, obviously, won't just be the No. 17 overall pick.

Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation wondered what a trade for a third star would look like if it included the 17th pick in a May 11 video (4:10 mark).

"You take [the 2029 first-rounder], you take [the 2031 first-rounder], you attach some salary, we're talking Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves...maybe [D'Angelo Russell] if he picks up his player option, I'm not expecting him to though. Gabe Vincent, anybody who's under contract, you attach those salaries to the picks, trade them for a third star."

Lane later added: "Maybe it's Trae Young, maybe it's Dejounte Murray, maybe it's Donovan Mitchell, maybe it's Lauri Markkanen. We don't know. All of that is going to be a little more clear as we get closer to draft night in June."

Ultimately, the Lakers obviously need to shake things up around LeBron James and Anthony Davis and take advantage of that window while they still can. James is an ageless wonder, still dominating as his 40th birthday nears in December. Davis just made an All-NBA team for the first time since 2020.

The Lakers can add more depth and hope for the best. Or, they can shoot for that third star to help them out, especially if one of both is lost due to injury during the season. Markkanen is ultimately a solid option to consider, given his size, scoring ability and age. He also could demand less in a trade than bigger names like Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young should they be made available in a deal.

We'll see if the Lakers do use that No. 17 pick in a deal soon enough, with the draft starting on June 26.