NBA Mock Draft 2016: Who Do the Lakers Select?

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; D'Angelo Russell (Ohio State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; D'Angelo Russell (Ohio State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

A look at what the Lakers do in our first 2016 NBA Mock Draft

The 2016 NBA Draft is just around the corner and all 30 NBA teams, even the 16 still competing in the 2016 NBA Playoffs, have their eyes on what they might do when it comes draft time. Sure, there are still things that need to be set in stone leading up to the draft, but it’s coming no less.

Obviously the biggest thing that still needs to happen before the NBA Draft in June is the NBA Draft lottery on May 17 where the Ping-Pong balls will fall and determine the lottery order based on the odds determined by the final standings in the NBA from the regular season. As Los Angeles Lakers fans well know, they have the second-best odds in the lottery after finishing the year with the second-worst win-loss record.

More lakers: Simulating Lakers Draft Lottery Odds in Late April

The Lakers are in an interesting position regarding their pick, though. They are either going to get one of the three best prospects in the 2016 NBA Draft or they are going to lose the pick and it’ll move to 2017. In all honesty, that’s not the worst position for the Lakers to be in as an organization that’s trying to rebuild.

Before the lottery has played out, though, all the Lakers and every other team can operate under is the position that they’re in after the regular season. As such, we’re going to get an idea of what teams need, what teams might do, and most importantly what the Lakers need and might do with this 2016 NBA Mock Draft, version 1.0 that tackles the first round in it’s entirety (with a bonus at the end).

Let’s dive right in.

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