The Los Angeles Lakers have secured the No. 17 and No. 47 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. This was finalized after the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament when the Miami Heat dropped to the No. 18 pick by landing the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed.
If the Lakers do make the 17th overall selection, it will be their highest draft pick since taking Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. They have traded their first-round pick in each of the last four drafts and took Moritz Wagner with the No. 25 pick in 2018.
They traded the No. 4 pick in 2019 to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis deal and that pick became De’Andre Hunter. The Lakers then traded the 28th overall pick in 2020 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Dennis Schroder.
They traded their 2021 first-round pick — the 22nd overall pick — to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook and their 2022 pick was again sent to the Pelicans.
The Pelicans owned swap rights on the Lakers’ 2023 first-round pick, but they will not exercise those swap rights as they finished with a worse record than the Lakers and hold the No. 14 pick at the back end of the lottery.
The final piece of the Davis trade is the Pelicans owning their choice of the Lakers’ 2024 or 2025 first-round draft pick.
The 2023 NBA Draft is widely considered to have incredible depth, meaning the Lakers should have a chance to draft legitimate talent at No. 17 if they choose to make and not trade the pick.
It also has the top-end talent, and after the NBA Draft lottery took place, it will be the San Antonio Spurs that have the privilege of drafting Victor Wembanyama after landing the No. 1 overall pick. The Charlotte Hornets are right behind them at No. 2, while the Portland Trail Blazers moved up to No. 3.
The Draft takes place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday, June 22, 2023.
Full post-lottery 2023 NBA Draft order
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Charlotte Hornets
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. Houston Rockets
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Orlando Magic
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Washington Wizards
9. Utah Jazz
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Orlando Magic (via CHI)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Toronto Raptors
14. New Orleans Pelicans
15. Atlanta Hawks
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah)
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Miami Heat/Houston Rockets (via LAC)/Golden State Warriors
19. Houston Rockets (via LAC)/Golden State Warriors/Miami Heat
20. Golden State Warriors/Miami Heat/Houston Rockets
21. Brooklyn Nets (via PHX)
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Portland Trail Blazers (via NY)
24. Sacramento Kings
25. Memphis Grizzlies/Indiana Pacers (via CLE)
26. Indiana Pacers (via CLE)/Memphis Grizzlies
27. Charlotte Hornets (via DEN)
28. Utah Jazz (via PHI)
29. Indiana Pacers (via BOS)
30. LA Clippers (via MIL)
31. Detroit Pistons
32. Indiana Pacers (via HOU)/San Antonio Spurs
33. San Antonio Spurs/Indiana Pacers (via HOU)
34. Charlotte Hornets
35. Boston Celtics (via POR)
36. Orlando Magic
37. Sacramento Kings (via IND)/Oklahoma City Thunder (via WSH)
38. Oklahoma City Thunder (via WSH)/Sacramento Kings (via IND)
39. Charlotte Hornets (via Utah)
40. Denver Nuggets (via DAL)
41. Washington Wizards (via CHI)/Charlotte Hornets (via OKC)
42. Charlotte Hornets (via OKC)/Washington Wizards (via CHI)
43. San Antonio Spurs (via TOR)/Portland Trail Blazers (via ATL)
44. Portland Trail Blazers (via ATL)/San Antonio Spurs (via TOR)
45. Memphis Grizzlies (via MIN)/New Orleans Pelicans
46. Atlanta Hawks (via NO)/Memphis Grizzlies (via MIN)
47. Los Angeles Lakers
48. Cleveland Cavaliers (via GS)/LA Clippers/Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA)
49. LA Clippers/Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA)/Cleveland Cavaliers (via GS)
50. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA)/Cleveland Cavaliers (via GS)/LA Clippers
51. Brooklyn Nets/Phoenix Suns
52. Phoenix Suns/Brooklyn Nets
53. Minnesota Timberwolves (via NY)
54. Sacramento Kings
55. Indiana Pacers (via CLE)/Memphis Grizzlies
56. Memphis Grizzlies/Indiana Pacers (via CLE)
57. Washington Wizards (via BOS)
58. Milwaukee Bucks