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Los Angeles Lakers Will Pick 2nd In 2015 NBA Draft

By Jackson Sanders

Dec 14, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) laughs with head coach Byron Scott during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 100-94. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) laughs with head coach Byron Scott during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 100-94. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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The hand wringing and restless nights are over, Los Angeles Lakers fans; the team officially retained their selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, in which they will pick second overall.

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The Lakers jumped the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers to move from the fourth selection to the second. The Minnesota Timberwolves won the NBA’s Draft Lottery and will pick first.

There was anxiety for many associated with the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the draft lottery, and for good reason. If the team fell out of the top-five selections in the draft, they would have had to convey their first-round pick to the 76ers as part of the ill-fated Steve Nash trade.

Now, the Lakers are poised to add a building block to their core of First Team All-Rookie guard Jordan Clarkson, and last year’s seventh overall pick, forward Julius Randle.

The team picking ahead of the Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, will likely be looking to add either Duke’s Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns — at least upon a quick assessment of their depth chart — leaving the Lakers the option of whichever post presence remains.

Both prospects have been projected to battle for consideration atop the draft for the majority of their collegiate careers.

For the Lakers, the opportunity to add a prospect worthy of a top selection is one of the first positive steps towards becoming a respectable on-court product once again. After two straight franchise-worst years, the team will at least have young talent to show for their struggle — much to the excitement of Kobe Bryant.

In addition to the second-overall pick, the Lakers will roll out another player essentially entering his first full season in Julius Randle, who missed all but 14 minutes of 2014-15 with a broken leg. Both Okafor and Towns are projected as centers in the NBA, while the next three prospects on the DraftExpress big board are wing players — all of whom should be able to play with Randle.

On June 26, the Lakers will now officially be armed with the second, 27th, and 34th selections overall.

Next: Our Latest NBA Mock Draft

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