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Los Angeles Lakers: Best 29th overall picks in NBA history

By Jason Reed

Boston Celtics' P.J. Brown fights (R) for the ball with Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol (L) during Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals in Boston, Massachusetts, June 17, 2008. The Boston Celtics captured the National Basketball Association championship, routing the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 to win the best-of-seven NBA Finals four games to two. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)
Boston Celtics' P.J. Brown fights (R) for the ball with Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol (L) during Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals in Boston, Massachusetts, June 17, 2008. The Boston Celtics captured the National Basketball Association championship, routing the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 to win the best-of-seven NBA Finals four games to two. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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(Photo credit should read JOHN ZICH/AFP via Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo credit should read JOHN ZICH/AFP via Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

If the season ended today (which at this point, anything is possible), the Los Angeles Lakers would have the 29th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The team has the best record in the Western Conference, second in the league behind the Milwaukee Bucks, and did not trade their first overall pick this year as part of the Anthony Davis trade.

There is a chance that the Lakers use that pick as trade bait or could even potentially look to move down or up in the draft order.

Right now, the Los Angeles Lakers’ intentions are not clear, but if they stay put then they will have the second-to-last pick in the first round.

The NBA is unique in that is has arguably the least amount of talent outside the top picks in the draft. Sure, every year there are sleepers, but with the NFL Draft being seven rounds and often yielding sixth-round Hall of Famers, and the MLB Draft seemingly being infinitely long. Because of that, Laker fans might not be excited about the prospect of the 29th pick.

However, there have been some great 29th overall picks in the history of the league, and to showcase that, we bring you the five best 29th overall picks of all-time.

5. Johnny Newman, 1986

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Johnny Newman in the 1986 NBA Draft and his career with the team that drafted him did not last long. After just one season in which Newman did not start a single game, he was off to New York.

The Knicks were just the first pit stop as many as he played three years in New York (the most for any team he played for) and ended up playing for seven different NBA teams in his 16-year NBA career.

Newman was involved in a pretty high-profile trade in the early 2000s as well, as he was traded to the New Jersey Nets in a package with Stephon Marbury for Jason Kidd.

Newman was never a star in any respect but he was a longtime, valuable role player for multiple different teams. He finished his career with the second-most games played on this list (1,159) while averaging 11 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

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