11 Players The Lakers Passed On In The NBA Draft

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; A general view as the names of the first round draft picks are displayed above the stage during the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Mitch Kupchak and the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a fairly unique situation. Rarely in the franchise’s history has the front office had so much flexibility to work with heading into the draft. They’ll be positioned to set the foundation for a long-term rebuild, the likes of which Lakers fans have seldom experienced.

-== Top 10 Lakers Draft Picks of All-Time ==-

A miss at the top of the draft could devastate said rebuild and I won’t even mention the possibility of losing the pick outright out of sheer personal pain. So, let’s look back and examine how moves the Lakers made brought them to this point.

To understand how the Lakers have “missed” in the NBA draft, you first have to understand how the organization has seen the value, or lack thereof, in drawing talent from college basketball. Yes, much of the Lakers’ most successful runs were aided by selections at the top of the draft (Magic Johnson and James Worthy were chosen first overall) or draft day trades (Kobe Bryant obviously comes to mind). In that sense, the Lakers have almost completely avoided outright busts.

There are, however, stretches in which the front office valued veteran consistency for playoff and title runs, which is our first category of draft missteps.

Next: Trades