Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

It's been a minute since the Lakers had, and kept, a first round pick. But at least right now, signs point to the team holding on to the 17th pick in this year's NBA Draft, coming in a couple of weeks.

So with that in mind, it's time to bring in the experts to help Lakers fans get ready.

We spoke with Rafael Barlowe, host of Locked On NBA Big Board, and the NBA Big Board newsletter to get some insight into this year's class, and where the Lakers might find good value.

We started with an overview of the depth of the class. Everyone knows about Wembanyama and Henderson at the top of the lottery, but those guys don't matter much to the Lakers. How much depth is there? Are quality rotation players going to be available at 17? What about the second round, where the Lakers have done really well in their talent evaluation?

From there, Barlowe broke down different names that could be had when it's time for the Lakers to pick. Some that might have been connected earlier in the spring -- Duke's Dereck Lively, for example -- have probably moved too high on the board for LA to get them. But he threw out some other names (Jett Howard, Kobe Bufkin, Nick Smith) that might make it to 17, and a few others (Bryce Sensabaugh, GG Jackson) that likely will be available, or even potentially could be excellent targets if the Lakers wanted to trade down.

He also dished a little on Max Christie, looking at where he was last season at the Draft, and some of the feedback he got from execs who watched him work out. Could the Lakers look at Christie as a blueprint on how to handle this year's selections? (Namely, looking for a player that, if he stayed another year in school, would likely have moved far to high for the Lakers to select.)

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, with guest Rafael Barlowe

SEGMENT 1: What does this Draft class look like, depth wise? What kind of players are likely going to be available at 17?

SEGMENT 2: Who are some of the key names to watch?

SEGMENT 3: Could Max Christie be a blueprint for how the Lakers approach this season's selections?

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