CHICAGO >> His work here just started, a two-day process that will involve watching plenty of workout drills and asking plenty of questions.

But as Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak began his duties at the NBA pre-draft combine both to evaluate and interview 18 different college prospects, another issue remains on his radar.

It has become one that has made Kupchak both hopeful and concerned as the Lakers head into next Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery in New York.

Hopeful because the Lakers’ 21-61 record marked the league’s fourth-worst record and the worst in franchise history, giving them an 82.8 percent chance of ensuring a top-five pick. Concerned because the Lakers also have a 17.2 percent chance of falling either to sixth or seventh, forcing them to trade the pick to Philadelphia as part of the Steve Nash deal.

“It’s completely out of our control. But I’m somewhat of a worry-wart,” Kupchak said on Thursday in an interview with the Los Angeles News Group. “I know our percentage is very high that we end up with a top-five pick, but I have to prepare for if we don’t get it. We’ll be prepared either way.”

So how will the Lakers handle landing in the top five?

“If we get a pick, that’s an asset,” Kupchak said. “That’s an asset you can use to trade or work to use it on the player in the draft.”

And what if the Lakers lose the pick?

“If we don’t,” Kupchak said, “we’ll still be able to carry on and move forward.”

Kupchak declined to share how. But the Lakers will also have the 27th and 34th overall picks, nine roster spots available and enough cap space to sign one free agent to a maximum contract. In addition to having guaranteed contracts for Kobe Bryant, Nick Young, Ryan Kelly and Julius Randle, the Lakers will also retain rookies Jordan Clarkson and Tarik Black on non-guaranteed deals.

The Lakers prefer filling one of those empty roster spots with a top-five pick, obviously. But Kupchak declined to specify to what degree a lost lottery pick would hurt the Lakers’ rebuilding efforts. He sounded equally vague on what impact a top-five pick could make.

“It depends. I think there is a difference between one and five,” Kupchak said. “If you look at a lot of the mock draft stuff, it looks as if the big guys will be taken early. Then at three, four or five, maybe you’re looking at guys who aren’t big.”

As Kupchak suggested, most mock drafts rank Kentucky center Karl Anthony-Towns, Duke center Jahil Okafor, China point point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell and Duke small forward Justise Winslow in order. Anthony-Towns, Okafor and Mudiay skipped all of the drill and interview sessions.

Yet, Kupchak declined to rank which positions he considers his biggest priority, other than saying, “we can use help at any of those.”

The only clarity Kupchak provided involved Lakers coach Byron Scott, who will serve as the team’s draft representative. Since the 2014-15 season ended, Kupchak said he and executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss have talked with Scott in meetings he described as “all good,” mindful the Lakers missed an NBA-record 339 games in the 2014-15 season because of injuries.

“Byron did the best he could do under the circumstances,” said Kupchak, who added Scott has not determined if he will make changes to his coaching staff. “We’re very happy with him as a coach.”

Will the Lakers become happy with what happens next week during the NBA draft lottery? An anxious few days await.

“It’s an important day for us and we’re hopeful that we get a top-five pick,” Kupchak said. “But even if we don’t, we’re confident that we will be able to get this team on track.”