The worst season in franchise history is finally over for the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the season was disappointing to say the least, the Lakers finished on a high note winning the final two games of the season, but it has impacted their chances of landing a high pick in the upcoming 2014 NBA Draft.
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According to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding, the Lakers have a slight chance of landing the top pick or a pick in the top three come June 26:
Lakers have a 6.3% chance at the No. 1 overall draft pick and 21.5% chance at the top three.
— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) April 17, 2014
As a result of the two wins to finish the season, the Lakers will most likely land the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The sixth spot in the draft has been the most likely scenario for quite some time now, but after the final game nothing will change unless a trade is made.
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com tweeted about the Lakers’ chances for each pick outside of the fourth and fifth picks:
LAL has the 6th-best odds in @NBA draft lottery. 1st pick: 6.3%; 2: 7.1%; 3: 8.1%; 4:N/A; 5:N/A; 6: 43.9%; 7: 30.5%; 8: 4.0%; 9: 0.1%.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 17, 2014
With a considerable amount of potential game-changers in the upcoming draft, the Lakers having the highest pick possible will be highly beneficial. Not only will the Lakers have a shot to bring in talented young player like Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid or Dante Exum, but they could use the pick in a trade if the opportunity presents itself.
Now that the season is over, a lot of decisions need to made in terms of players coming and going. There’s been no clear indication on which players will be retained outside of the ones already under contract like Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre.
Needless to say, drastic changes may be on the horizon for this storied franchise as Jim Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak attempt to right the ship in the off-season.
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