Lakers could've had De'Aaron Fox or Lauri Markkanen if new NBA Draft lottery rules existed earlier

Strong options later in the top-10 that year included De'Aaron Fox and Lauri Markkanen.

Worse options? The likes of Josh Jackson, Jonathan Isaac, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr. and Zach Collins.

There's no guarantee the Lakers would've done the right thing, and it's impossible to know how that would've played out the next decade of NBA Draft picks, records and offseason moves.

All that's for sure is that things would've been different.

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Three of the best picks of that draft actually came from 12 through 14: Luke Kennard, Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo.

Kennard, of course, is with the Lakers now, and he's playing a starring role with Luka Doncic out in the postseason.

Maybe there's an alternate reality where the Lakers and Kennard are together much sooner -- or any of those above names come to L.A. instead of Lonzo.

But rules don't travel back in time, so it's all hypothetical.

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