On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers continue their Grammy Trip as they face the Orlando Magic. With only a half-game separating them, it is an important matchup in terms of standings for the 2015 NBA lottery where both teams are headed on May 19.
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During Friday morning’s shootaround, head coach Byron Scott was asked about losing games for draft picks according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
Scott's answer:"I never look at losing. It’s a bad omen that you try to send a message to lose games to get the very best pick you can get"
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 6, 2015
Unlike last season where the Lakers were able to select Julius Randle with the seventh pick, this year’s lottery pick is only top-five protected. As a result, there have been discussions among fans about the Lakers positioning themseleves to keep their pick in a draft that will likely feature Jahlil Okafor, D’Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl Towns and Stanley Johnson.
With the Lakers missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the franchise faces another important off-season as they look to rebuild themselves into championships contenders. Armed with potentially a top-five pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Lakers are also projected to have as much as $30 million to pursue big-name free agents such as Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic.
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