The Los Angeles Lakers’ esports affiliate Lakers Gaming will pick first overall at the 2021 NBA 2K League Draft, the League announced last week.
Lakers Gaming had the highest odds of securing the top pick at next season’s draft at 15%, tied with Pistons GT and Pacers Gaming. Lakers Gaming and Pistons GT ended the previous season with league-worst 3-13 win-loss records, while Pacers Gaming finished the season at 4-12.
The favorable draft seeding gives the LA-based esports club a solid chance to turn the tide in their next NBA 2KL campaign.
Choosing the top prospect might also put them in an excellent position to follow the real-world Lakers toward the championship stage. As recent events have shown, NBA 2K League’s most recent champions — Wizards District Gaming — got a significant roster boost when they selected rookie standout John “JBM” Mascone as the first pick in the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft.
- Raptors Uprising just completed the first perfect season in NBA 2K League history
- Wizards DG have won the 2020 NBA 2K League title
Pacers Gaming will select second, followed by Shanghai’s Gen.G Tigers who jumped up a few spots in the draft lottery.
Here’s how the rest of the first round looks:
Next year’s NBA 2K League Draft will comprise an extensive pool of prospects that will be selected through the ongoing NBA 2K League Draft Prospect Series, along with players from the 2020 season who were released by their organizations.
The Draft Prospect Series is also expanding opportunities for aspiring NBA 2K pros by welcoming more top-performing women and amateur players based abroad.
The exact date of the 2021 NBA 2K League Draft has yet to be announced as of writing.
READ MORE: NBA 2K League expands the draft tryout process for Season 4
