The Los Angeles Lakers lost out to the Dallas Mavericks in a Tuesday tiebreaker related to the 2021 NBA Draft, with the Mavericks now holding 21st overall selection as a result.
Dallas beat the Lakers out for the No. 21 pick. https://t.co/fdSHy07gnA
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) May 25, 2021
The Lakers, Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers all finished with 42-30 records for the 2020-21 season, which necessitated a coin flip to determine the draft order.
In reality, there’s often little difference between the 21st and 22nd picks in any particular draft, with most of the focus directed on teams that have lottery selections.
Whichever player the Lakers do end up taking, if they choose to hold onto their pick, is likely to serve as depth for the team in the future.
Right now, the Lakers aren’t likely to put much of their focus on the results of this coin flip. That’s because they have an important Game 2 playoff matchup on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns currently hold a 1-0 lead in the series, with the Lakers not looking to return to Los Angeles just two defeats from seeing their season come to an end.
