Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery went about as well as the Los Angeles Lakers could have hoped. The Celtics landed the No. 1 overall pick, but the Lakers came in at No. 2, moving one spot above where their odds projected and ensuring that they hold onto their pick, rather than having it transfer to Philadelphia if it fell out of the top-3. Magic Johnson’s reaction to learning the Lakers would stay in the top 3 and hold onto their pick told the entire story.
https://twitter.com/vineydelnegro/status/864645316041035776
The lottery also went according to plan for Lonzo and LaVar Ball, who have been pushing to get on the Lakers for months. Both Lonzo and his father have voiced their desire for the former UCLA star to stay at home with the Lakers, and with L.A. landing at No. 2, that seems to be all but assured.
The Celtics landed the No. 1 pick, and while their point guard situation would seem to be set with Isaiah Thomas, with the talent at the top of this draft they will likely have to add another one if they don’t trade the pick. However, that pick isn’t likely to be Ball as Markelle Fultz is the consensus top player in the draft and most every mock draft and projection prior to the lottery has shown Boston taking the Washington point guard.
That means the table is set for Lonzo to get his wish and end up with the hometown Lakers, which should prove to be exceptionally interesting to say the least, if for nothing else than LaVar and Johnson having to interact fairly regularly. The Lakers adding Ball, the most gifted passer in this draft, to D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson would make for an interesting back court rotation and you can just imagine what LaVar will do the first time he feels like Lonzo isn’t getting enough minutes next to Russell and Clarkson.
Whatever happens on draft night, June 22, it will make for fantastic theater. The most likely scenario is Fultz goes No. 1 and Ball ends up with the Lakers to the delight of himself and his father. However, if the Celtics were to keep the first pick and reach for need with Josh Jackson then the Lakers would have to decide between Ball and Fultz, and the scene that would happen if they chose Fultz over Ball would be tremendous.
