Los Angeles Lakers: A look back at NBA Draft history before 2018
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves picking later in the 2018 NBA Draft. What is the history behind their selections and the pick themselves?
The 2017-18 Los Angeles Lakers finished with a 35-47 record, 12 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. This solidified a fifth consecutive season without postseason basketball for the purple-and-gold, extending a franchise record drought.
However, an exciting youth movement was the highlight of the campaign. Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and rookie Lonzo Ball all showed promise as future big-time contributors in the NBA. Meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma proved to be one of the biggest steals of the 2017 NBA Draft. The 27th overall pick (via the Brooklyn Nets) averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in his first season.
This summer, the Lakers have big stars in their eyes. The team has enough cap space this offseason to acquire a big-time free agent. The right signee will surely help the Lake Show return to their contending ways sooner rather than later. However, their free agent pursuit makes it hard to determine how the team will handle the 2018 NBA Draft.
The Lakers do not possess their own picks this year. If they did, they would be selecting at No. 10 and No. 40. Instead, those picks were dealt away in deals that helped to form what was supposed to be L.A.’s next superteam. The No. 10 pick now belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers while the Brooklyn Nets possess the 40th overall pick.
The Lakers’ No. 10 pick was dealt, along with three other draft picks from 2013 and 2014, to the Phoenix Suns on July 7, 2012 in exchange for Steve Nash. The Suns gave the pick to the Sixers on Feb. 19, 2015 in a three-team trade that included the Milwaukee Bucks.
L.A. dealt its No. 40 pick to the Orlando Magic on Aug. 10, 2012 in a four-team deal that brought Dwight Howard to Los Angeles. On May 25, 2017, the Magic gave the pick to the Toronto Raptors as compensation for signing general manager Jeff Weltman. The Raptors then packaged the pick in a trade that sent DeMarre Carroll to the Nets.
Instead, the Lakers will draft at No. 25 and No. 47. The 25th pick originally belonged to the Cleveland Cavaliers. At one point, the Cavs dealt the pick in February 2016 to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anderson Varejao.
However, Cleveland reacquired the pick in January 2017, giving Portland a 2017 first round selection instead. The Lakers received the pick in the Feb. 8 trade deadline deal that also brought Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye to L.A.
The Utah Jazz originally held the 47th pick, but dealt it away back in July 2013. Utah gave it to the Chicago Bulls in February 2016 in a three-team deal that included the Atlanta Hawks. The Lakers acquired the pick in July 2016 in exchange for Jose Calderon.
The Lakers have selected at No. 25 only four times in their franchise history. The first time came in 1963, when they selected Lyle Harger out of Houston. He never played a game in the NBA. In 1965, L.A. took Georgia Tech center Jim Caldwell. He played two games in the NBA with the New York Knicks, but logged 135 games in the ABA.
Ollie Mack was one of the Lakers’ eight picks in the 1979 NBA Draft, selected alongside Magic Johnson. Mack played 27 games in Los Angeles, but the Lakers shipped him to the Bulls the following February.
David Rivers is the Lakers’ most recent No. 25 pick, their lone selection of the 1988 NBA Draft. Rivers played the 1988-89 season with the “Showtime” Lakers. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves snatched him up the following summer in the expansion draft. Minnesota waived him before the season started, and Rivers finished out his short NBA career with two separate stints with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Other No. 25 picks include Mark Price, John Drew, Gerald Wallace, Nicolas Batum, Al Harrington, Tony Allen and Clint Capela. Former Lakers Corie Blount and Shannon Brown were also selected No. 25 overall.
The No. 47 pick has been a rarer and less eventful selection for the Lakers. They have only picked at this spot twice ever, taking Bradley’s Joe Allen in 1967 and Alabama State’s Gregg Northington in 1972. Neither player ever made the NBA.
However, there have been some notable names at this spot in the draft. Paul Millsap, Mo Williams, Gerald Wilkins, Vernon Maxwell, Alvin Williams, Chris Whitney, Todd MacCulloch and Raul Neto were all taken at No. 47.
Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition
The Los Angeles Lakers already possess some rising stars on their roster and a looking to bring in a big, established one during free agency. However, L.A. can still draft some good role players with the No. 25 and No. 47 picks. HoopsHabit’s Dan Lovi has already taken a look at possible selections at both positions. We will see who they take on June 21 in Brooklyn.