Lakers: When Is the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery?

A look at when the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery will take place to determine the fate of the Lakers pick

The Los Angeles Lakers have all eyes directed toward the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery and for good reason. Sure, the Lakers finished with the second-worst record in the NBA for the 2015-16 season and that means that they could be looking to win the No. 1 overall pick in the lottery, but there’s also the chance that they lose the pick entirely.

As most all Lakers fans know by this point in time, what happens with the first round pick for the Lakers is now out of their hands and up to the Ping-Pong balls in the NBA Draft Lottery. If their pick falls into the top-3, the Lakers will keep it and will have the opportunity to further continue their rebuilding process in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s retirement. If the NBA Draft Lottery is unkind and the pick falls at No. 4 or below, though, the selection will then move to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Though losing the pick wouldn’t be as dire as many fans make it out to be for the Lakers (they’d get the pick in 2017 as opposed to having to worry about the pick moving again next year), there’s also no escaping the fact that the Lakers are a young team that could use a lottery pick to help bolster their roster and build around moving forward.

Subsequently, there are eyes galore on the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery to see the way things play out so that fans and the front office in Los Angeles can determine what’s next for the franchise and what to expect moving forward. However, some people might still be asking when the lottery will take place.

Next: Lakers: 5 Top-Tier Free Agency Targets Not Named Durant

That fateful day when the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery takes place will be on Tuesday, May 17. Though the time hasn’t been yet announced, it will take place prior to one of the playoff games and ESPN will likely have the coverage of the lottery.

Hold your breath until that point, Lakers fans.