The NBA conducted a host of random tiebreaker drawings, which resulted in the Los Angeles Lakers being awarded the No. 17 pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.
There were a total of six ties among teams with the same 2023-24 regular season records. The Philadelphia 76ers won the four-way tiebreaker with the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and Lakers. The Lakers won the second tiebreaker, followed by the Magic and Pacers.
The remainder of the draft order will be decided when the NBA Draft Lottery takes place on Sunday, May 12. The 2024 NBA Draft will then take place on Thursday, June 27.
While Los Angeles currently sits in the 17th spot, they will not know if they will actually own the pick as the New Orleans Pelicans have the right to either have it convey this year or defer it to next year when it will be unprotected. This is the final first-round pick that was included in the blockbuster deal for Anthony Davis.
In what’s considered to be a weak draft class, the initial sense is the Pelicans will choose to defer the Lakers’ pick to next year. If that happens, Los Angeles will have three tradable first-round picks to use in potential deals either on draft night or in the ensuing offseason.
However, if New Orleans does decide to claim the No. 17 pick then the purple and gold will only have one second-round pick in the draft.
With the Lakers still all-in on chasing a title with their current core, the front office is more likely to use the pick in a trade rather than selecting a young player who could be years away from contributing. A player like Trae Young, who L.A. reportedly has serious interest in, could be an option if he ends up becoming available.
There are a number of directions the Lakers can go in between now and the draft, so it’ll be interesting to see how things shake out.
Austin Reaves appreciates Lakers organization and fans
A few years ago, the Lakers struck gold when they signed Austin Reaves as a undrafted free agent. Reaves reportedly had the option to get drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft, but opted to go undrafted so he could sign with Los Angeles.
Since then, Reaves has turned himself in a high-quality role player who has come up big in several moments. Reaves expressed how happy he is being in L.A. and spoke highly of the organization and its fans.
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