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2017 NBA Draft Lottery: 5 scenarios that could impact the Pacers

By Hunter Kuffel

Apr 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) brings the ball up court against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) brings the ball up court against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Lakers have the third best chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

Scenario #2: The Los Angeles Lakers take the first pick

First things first: Let’s get this out of the way:
First things first: Let’s get this out of the way: /

Alright, that’s settled. The Lakers have been stirring the Paul George trade rumor pot for years now, and if they manage to keep their pick this year, it’s only going to get worse. If they snag the first pick, anything could happen. If Los Angeles includes the first overall pick in a deal for Paul George, Kevin Pritchard would likely have a really hard time turning it down.

Having said that, it seems unlikely that Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka will be willing to do such a thing. Lakers fans seem wary of giving up a top three pick in this year’s draft to get a guy they feel they could get in free agency after a year. Now, is that them being shrewd or them being overly assuming about George’s preferences and their ability to woo him? It’s unclear. I will say this: Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball will both likely be very good NBA players, but they probably won’t be as good as Paul George is right now.

For Pacers fans who don’t want to see George traded this summer, this outcome might be your best bet. The Lakers seem to be one of the few teams that would be comfortable making a George trade this summer due to their confidence that he would re-sign there. If they win the lottery, I doubt they’ll put the pick on the table. If they don’t put the pick on the table, I doubt that a deal gets done.

None of this is to say that any deal that doesn’t include the 2017 pick is an inherently bad deal. That would be a close-minded approach to have. However, we’ve also heard on multiple occasions that Brandon Ingram is untouchable. D’Angelo Russell has potential but several nagging limitations, and Jordan Clarkson will likely always be a defensive liability. Julius Randle projects to fit well with Myles Turner, but are you centering a Paul George deal around him? Probably not.

Knowing all of that, it’s hard to come up with a deal that both sides like. If the Lakers end up with the second or third pick, then maybe the gears start to turn a bit more.

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