I don't like the situation, if it wasn't for one or two really lucky shots, the Nets would already have granted the last position. Most teams the Nets will face do not really care that much about winning anymore.
But I think there are two aspects that make me feel good that the Nets may not reach the Lakers:
They will play Chicago and Detroit, teams that are fighting for a playoff spot against the Heat. The Cs MUST beat the Heat tonight. But both Chicago and Detroit are not good bb teams.
The Lakers have a tough schedule BUT they have 2 games against the Wolves, a team that have a very hard schedule and still can finish with the 4th worse record. If they consider it to be a 5-man-draft, maybe their staff won't be all that motivated to beat LA. They have lost their last 6 games. They will also play the Kings, a team that has lost 5 in a row and that has no reason to win.
My guess is that the Suns won't win any game until the rest of the season but the Lakers will.