The 2017 NBA regular season is now over and a large number of teams are now sitting at home or conducting exit interviews before getting a jump on their summer vacations. One of those teams is the Los Angeles Lakers, who probably thought they would be in this position.

One thing that they could not have expected was to end the season on such a high note after a mostly forgettable campaign. L.A. rode to the finish line with a record of 5-1 in their last six games and their one loss was to the championship favourite Golden State Warriors.

That feat is impressive for a team so young and inexperienced, but the feel-good vibes of the final week of the season might come at a heavy cost. The Lakers probably needed to lose those games in order to ensure their own success in the NBA Draft.

If their pick falls to fourth or lower overall, the selection will belong to the Philadelphia 76ers as the result of a prior trade. That outcome could be disastrous for the ‘Show as they don’t have a first round pick in next year’s draft and desperately need to net a potential superstar this year.

Fans of the purple and gold franchise will be pleased to hear that new general manager Rob Pelinka has a plan in place for the possibility that the club doesn’t manage to hang on to their first rounder this year.

He explained to ESPN: “Listen, I think you have to be prepared for whatever scenario when you’re looking at a random event like the lottery. People are asking, ‘Do you guys have to have that pick? That’s something I get asked at every single game. I think we’re prepared to have it, and we also have a plan if we don’t.

“I think for us, if we get the lottery balls to bounce our way, yes, we have a great attack-plan for the draft. But if we don’t, just like [many famous] sports moments, we have to find a way, and we do have a plan, to still get to where our ultimate destination is without the draft pick.”

Pelinka and Magic Johnson are clearly planning for every conceivable outcome heading into May 16’s lottery selection event. Somewhere in the depths of the El Segundo offices where the franchise’s brain-trust lies, there is a whiteboard with all sorts of details flying around.

It is even more important that Magic was able to snare a first-round pick from Houston while trading away bench scorer Lou Williams before Pelinka even entered the picture. No matter what, the Lakers will have a first-round pick this year.

Maybe their fans can breathe a sigh of relief, but there won’t be any celebration until the fate of their most important pick is revealed.