I'd bet the Lakers would just tank to 6th in that scenario.
If Denver thought the Lakers were headed to the 6th seed, the Nuggets would likely tank their way to the 4th seed and keep the Clippers in the 3rd seed. There's an interesting game of Chicken brewing here.
538 currently projects that the Mavs and Lakers will each finish with 42 wins. In that scenario, the Mavs would take the 5th seed with the tie-breaker and the Lakers would fall to 6th. It's becoming increasingly likely that the Lakers end up 6th. Denver and LA Clippers would be the 3rd and 4th seeds in some order.