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The NBA Draft lottery results are in, and the Los Angeles Lakers will have the second-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Lakers 21-61 record gave them the fourth best odds of landing the first-overall pick, while they still had a 17.2 percent chance of losing their top-five protected pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. They will have their choice between top talent like Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, depending on how the Minnesota Timberwolves draft at No. 1.
The Lakers can exhale now, keeping the rights to a top talent this upcoming season. Their young core with a returning Julius Randle and All-Rookie first team guard Jordan Clarkson will take a huge step forward with the addition of any of the talent available here. Leaping up to No. 2 is a dream scenario.
It's been a stressful journey to this point, but this draft pick could be the turning point for the franchise. In a single word: Relief. Relief for a franchise that desperately needed a life boat after back-to-back franchise-worst seasons. Relief for fans that have watched a back-to-back champion turn into draft lottery hostages. Kobe Bryant will have a stable of young talent to return to for what could be his final season in the NBA, and if free agency goes well, the Lakers could be back up on their feet.
Retaining this pick was a make or break moment in a timeline of disasters. Los Angeles had a 12.6 percent chance to land in this draft spot. The NBA Draft is June 25th, so prepare for a great ride up to it.
The Lakers did it.