After finishing the 2014-15 NBA season with the worst record in franchise history, it appears the Los Angeles Lakers can continue their rebuild on a good note. The Lakers entered Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery with the forth best odds to land the first overall pick at 11.9 percent and additionally needed to avoid two teams jumping ahead of them.
The results were announced on an ESPN broadcast before the Western Conference Finals tipped off. Not only do the Lakers get to keep their protected top-five pick, the team moved up and was awarded the second overall pick. It will be the highest selection since the Lakers chose James Worthy in the 1982 Draft.
With the knowledge of where their draft pick lands, the front office can now continue their plans for an off-season rebuild. The Lakers have needs just about everywhere on the court and are now poised pick whomever they feel fits them the best.
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Most draft experts have Karl-Anthony Towns being the first prospect off the boards. Should Towns be off the board by the time the Lakers make their selection, the Lakers could be looking at Jahlil Okafor, D’Angelo Russell, or Emmanuel Mudiay.
Okafor spent one year at Duke and shined as the one of the top freshmen in college. He comes into the draft possessing an above-average post game but appears limited away from the rim. Russell and Mudiay are intriguing guard prospects after their years in Ohio State and China, respectively.
Look for the Lakers to bring in a number of prospects over the next couple of weeks. As the team monitors the players, their draft board will be moved around. The team also owns the 27th and 34th overall pick.
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