– Gain a valuable asset
Easily the top reason to embrace the tank mode is to get the best draft pick possible. While the NBA does have the lottery process to try and stop teams from tanking, the more ping pong balls you have the better.
As of now, the Lakers have the 12th worst record in the NBA. That is obviously getting them close to a Top-10 pick in the NBA Draft, which would be a good asset. If the Lakers really embraced the tank for the rest of the season, they could move well up in the lottery. Only 4.5 games separate the Lakers from the Memphis Grizzlies, who currently have the sixth worst record in the NBA.
Getting all the way down there would be challenging, as those teams don’t want to win games. However, a Top-10 pick for the Lakers is certainly reachable if they go into a tank mode. Getting a Top-10 pick would be a good consolation prize for the Lakers after a failed season.
With that pick, they would be gaining a valuable trade asset or another potential young member of the core. The more losses the Lakers have for the rest of the season, the better chance they have to grab an impact player. While losses are never fun for fans, the only things wins mean for the Lakers right now is a worse draft pick.