How the NBA Draft Lottery Impacts the Lakers: Mavs Gets #1 Pick, Spurs #2

The Lakers weren't part of Monday's NBA Draft Lottery, but they were definitely impacted by it. 

An already challenging Western Conference is set to get even harder, with the Dallas Mavericks overcoming incredibly long odds (1.8%) to win the top pick in this year's draft, otherwise known as the Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes. This is a remarkable turn of events for a team far better equipped to compete and win than your typical lottery squad. And then the San Antonio Spurs, already on the rise with Victor Wembanyama and a host of draft capital, jumped six spots to #2, giving themselves yet another asset either to use or to trade. Perhaps as part of a Giannis deal? 

All of this is to say, the West just got even better. And it was already great. So the pressure for the Lakers to fill the cracks in the roster has increased. The landscape of the summer could be changed, completely. Are teams active, if it really does look like Giannis is ready to go? Or does action shut down and potentially limit how the Lakers can do business? What about Daniel Gafford? There were already rumors the Mavs would move him, because soon he'll be in line for a big pay raise. How does landing Flagg impact decisions like that one? 

And how does all of this fit into the Austin Reaves discussion? If nothing else, it emphasizes that everyone not named Luka or with a no-trade clause (i.e. LeBron) has to be on the table. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: WAS IT A CONSPIRACY? 

 

SEGMENT 2: The West got harder, meaning Rob Pelinka's job got harder, too. 

 

SEGMENT 3: Should AR be on the table? (The money question.) 

 

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