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Draft pick: Their own first-rounder
Stipulation: Top-five protected
First off, LA has an outside chance of retaining their own pick. As part of the trade that brought Steve Nash to the Lakers, the Suns have the rights to the Lakers pick should it fall anywhere from 6-30. However, should the Lakers fully bottom out, they could retain their pick inside the top five.
Rumors surfaced last summer that the Lakers had intentions of attempting to hold on to the pick. The problem with this is that the Lakers can’t simply finish with one of the five worst records in the league, but also have luck in their favor in the draft lottery. Under the current format, the Lakers would need to finish with one of the two worst records to ensure they don’t fall outside the top five.
I specify “under the current format” because Adam Silver has proposed a changed lottery system that would level out the odds, which is only good news for the Lakers hopes of retaining their pick. No matter what the odds are, this is a very tricky risk for the Lakers.