The fate of the Los Angeles Lakers will be determined Tuesday afternoon as the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery gets underway. The purple and gold will either ride away with their top-three protected pick locked up, or walk away empty-handed if the ping pong balls don’t bounce their way.
Coverage on ESPN begins at 5 p.m. PT,. officially the pregame show for Game 2 between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers have a 46.9 percent chance of keeping their pick, with the Philadelphia 76ers licking their chops at the thought of acquiring two lottery talents this time around.
The Lakers have been fortunate enough to cash in on high lottery picks the past several years. They’ll have to pull some magic off again if they want a shot at Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson or De’Aaron Fox, the four players they’ve reportedly honed in on.
The Boston Celtics hold the best odds heading into the lottery thanks to the Brooklyn Nets’ absurd trade. The Nets punched in a 20-62 record and Boston is set to reap the benefits of their woes. There’s a 25 percent chance the Nets pick lands at No. 1, and a 64.3 percent chance it remains in the top three.
The Suns have the second best odds at 19.9 percent for No. 2 and 55.8 percent at staying in the top three. The Lakers have a 15.6 percent chance of jumping up to No. 1.
Here’s a full look at the draft odds, courtesy of Tankathon.com:
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Magic Johnson will represent the Lakers at the lottery, and Lakers fans worldwide are hoping he’s got some magic up those sleeves of his. He’s strangely confident that the Lakers will keep the pick, but until the final order is set Tuesday evening stress levels will remain cranked up.
It all comes down to this for the Lakers, who watched the exciting start to their season become another disappointing outcome. Stay tuned to Silver Screen and Roll for full coverage leading up to the lottery, reaction to the outcome and more.
Here we go.
NBA Draft Lottery
Date: May 16
Time: 5 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN