Heading into the 2017 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers hold the luxury of possessing the second overall pick. At the same time though, it has created a cloud of rumors around the organization.

During a recent interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical revealed that the Lakers had recently attempted to trade down a few spots to see if they could still acquire UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball.

“A little bit of what they are doing is they are trying to get teams behind to trade up to get [Josh] Jackson and trade down to still get Ball, which they trade with Philly and Phoenix and neither had interest.”

The fact that the Lakers are looking to trade down and still get Ball is quite telling. It means that he has remained their top choice at this point in time.

This also falls in line with the reports that the team is talking to his agent about possibly taking him with their second overall pick.

This, in many ways, silences the constant chatter around Los Angeles keeping their options open. Since the team retained their first-round pick, Ball has been viewed as the heavy favorite to be taken by his hometown team.

With the Philadelphia 76ers officially acquiring the first overall pick on Monday morning to presumably take Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, it all but paves the way for the Lakers to take the UCLA product.

That said, the Lakers could still look into various scenarios over the next few days before the draft. There is still much that may change over the span that could have a tremendous impact on the organization and its future.