For the Los Angeles Lakers, perhaps the only positive from the 2018-19 NBA season is that they get another lottery pick.
However, finishing with the 11th-worst record in the league meant the team’s chances at landing a top pick for the chance to select the likes of Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Ja Morant were extremely slim.
However, that meant nothing as the good luck charm of Kyle Kuzma helped the Lakers defy the odds and leap up into the top-four as the Lakers will have the No. 4 pick.
The Lakers were able to take advantage of the new draft odds that gave them a better chance than prior years at moving up. The Lakers had a 9.4% chance at moving up into the top four meaning they were more likely to move down than up, but that wasn’t in the cards.
The question now turns to who the Lakers will select with this pick and at this range, they will have their choice of the cream of the crop.
The consensus top prospect is Williamson, an unreal physical specimen who is the most anticipated prospect since LeBron James. In fact, James even recently praised Williamson for his outstanding energy that he shows on the court.
However, Williamson isn’t the only top prospect as his Duke teammate Barrett is also a possibility. Barrett is an all-around wing, capable of creating shots for himself and others while also having the prototypical physical profile for a wing in today’s NBA.
If the Lakers want to shift focus towards point guard and possibly move away from Lonzo Ball, then Morant could be their player. Morant is a true point guard who became the first player to lead college basketball in scoring and assists. He is an electric athlete who could change the course of whichever franchise selects him — including the Lakers.
There is even the chance the Lakers could surprise some by taking someone such as Jarrett Culver, DeAndre Hunter, or Darius Garland.
All of this is assuming the Lakers keep the pick as there is always a chance they could use it in a trade to net a major All-Star player.
With free agency a major question mark, packaging this pick along with a young player or two could net the Lakers the second All-Star player they greatly desire. Regardless, the Lakers have a lot of options at the 2019 NBA Draft thanks to their fortunate luck.
