The Los Angeles Lakers landed the no. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery Tuesday, jumping up seven spots.
LA went into the lottery with only a 2.0% chance of getting the no. 1 overall pick, projected to be Duke Blue Devil Zion Williamson. LA, which was represented in Detroit by Michigan native Kyle Kuzma, had a 9.4% chance of landing a pick in the top four.
The no. 1 overall pick went to the New Orleans Pelicans, who were expected to seek a trade for the no. 1 pick, with Anthony Davis entering the final year of his contract and not expected to re-sign with the Pelicans.
With Davis and the no. 1 pick, the Pelicans now have more assets to rebuild the team, or possibly even keep Davis in Louisiana.
For the Lakers, landing the no. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft gives Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka an added valuable asset to go after a player like Anthony Davis to pair with LeBron James.
James turns 35 during the 2019-20 season, so time is a factor in building the Lakers into a contender after the team has missed the playoffs for six straight seasons.
The Pelicans were the biggest winners of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, but the Lakers were likely rubbing their palms and celebrating Tuesday night.
