Locked on Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are suddenly in the midst of a waterfall of rumors after there were multiple reports Sunday that Paul George had informed the Indiana Pacers he planned to leave next summer, with the Lakers the most likely destination from there. Harrison and Anthony jumped right into the rumors, talked about the most they'd give up in a deal for George, and debated whether the Lakers should wait for him in free agency or if the risk of losing him was too big. Then they talked about the Lakers' efforts to trade up for Markelle Fultz, and whether they should've tried to do more to make it happen.

As rumors about over what the Lakers will do with their No. 2 draft pick, Harrison and Anthony got together to discuss all the various scenarios. First, they talked about what the Lakers should do if the Celtics do as rumored and take Josh Jackson. Then they discussed the rumors the Lakers might trade back, and whether or not that's a good idea before discussing all the reports about Brandon Ingram being untouchable in trades.

Lonzo Ball’s position as the Los Angeles Lakers’ top choice has certainly wavered over the last week or so, with Josh Jackson making a legitimate charge over the span of his two workouts in front of Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and Luke Walton. The question remains, however: Are the Lakers really considering the wing from Kansas, or are they putting up a smokescreen to potentially convince some desperate team to move up and ensure they get their guy? To discuss that, plus Jackson’s fit with the Lakers, the guys were joined by MLB.com’s Scott Chasen (who covered Jackson at Kansas) and Silver Screen & Roll’s own Kansas alum and Jayhawks superfan Tom Fehr. Also covered in the discussion: The details behind Jackson’s off-court issues in his time at Kansas. Harrison also complains about how rumor season has made his life miserable, which is also always fun to hear about.

There was a report that Lonzo Ball's conditioning didn't impress the Lakers, so Harrison and Anthony discussed whether or not they thought it mattered, with medical info on whether his hamstring injury might still be affecting him from Dr. Jen. Later, Harrison and Anthony discussed LaVar Ball's comments on the Lakers lack of leadership, and then Harrison gave his latest hot take. All that and more on the latest Locked on Lakers.

In case all the rumors about the Los Angeles Lakers’ interest in Lonzo Ball or other prospects heading into the NBA Draft weren’t already enough, LeBron James’ name just had to come up in rumors connected to the franchise. As always, the Lakers refuse to be boring. In the first segment, Harrison and Anthony discuss those reports and how likely they might feel. Because we’ve heard them before, we can help but be dubious. After the break, we brought in Mark Medina of the Southern California News Group to get the details behind Lonzo Ball’s crowded workout, what he’s heard in regards to other prospects like Josh Jackson and De’Aaron Fox and finally, the aforementioned James rumors. This is a packed show, with plenty of information to hold fans over through the weekend.

The Los Angeles Lakers worked out Lonzo Ball Wednesday, and the instant takeaway was just how many media were at the workout. It was one of the more covered events since Kobe Bryant retired, and hosts Harrison Faigen and Anthony Irwin joined in the coverage in the latest episode of Locked on Lakers. Ball said all the right things and it sounds like the workout went well, and Anthony and Harrison debated whether or not it reinforced that he’s the right pick for the Lakers, especially in the wake of reports that Paul George may need to see another star worth joining before he commits to putting on the purple and gold.

The NBA Draft is still somehow a couple weeks away and this finals series isn’t going to hold anyone’s attention, so it appears we’re all getting an early start on “make stuff up and claim it as a report” season. Apparently, before having worked out Lonzo Ball or anyone they’d be looking to draft with the second overall pick, the Los Angeles Lakers have decided that they don’t like Ball, or something like that, at least according to one report over the weekend. Neither Harrison or I believe this report to be anywhere near true, and we gave reasons why. We then addressed a weird trend we’ve noticed as the post-Kobe-Bryant NBA has rolled along: People who don’t like Kobe can’t let Kobe go. So, we did the only logical thing and debated who might hate Kobe more than anyone else. Fare thee well, oh mentions of ours.

The Los Angeles Lakers are within a few weeks of making their latest biggest decision in recent franchise history. For most, the choice has already been made. Lonzo Ball is the local kid who also is probably the best fit and most talented available player. Still, the Lakers will do their due diligence, and so will we. Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer joined the podcast to talk about what the Lakers might need, fit versus best player available and how all that seems to circle back to Lonzo Ball. Tjarks also helped inform Anthony and Harrison on potential targets with the Lakers’ 28th pick. A ton can happen as the draft unfolds, but there are a couple great fits as most mock drafts currently stand. Before that conversation, the guys talk about recent reports about Jordan Clarkson’s potential availability. After Tjarks, the guys spoke about Jerry West’s interest in coming back to L.A. and Timofey Mozgov’s honesty.

The Los Angeles Lakers are widely expected to draft UCLA guard Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but the team’s process to evaluate him might have gotten slightly more difficult. A report surfaced Tuesday that Ball would not work out against other top NBA prospects, so hosts Harrison Faigen and Anthony Irwin discussed whether or not they felt that mattered on the latest episode of Locked on Lakers. Before they got their, Anthony had to get something off his chest about a certain former Lakers coach continuing to comment on the team, and afterwards Harrison dropped what was possibly the hottest Lonzo Ball take in the history of the internet.

Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers can finally say something they might not have been able to over the last five years and change: They know where the team they root for is going. There is a general direction and plan laid out by which the Lakers can continue to take shape and compete in this insane western conference. Lonzo Ball is the odds on favorite to be drafted and play alongside D’Angelo Russell next year. Next summer, there’s a very good chance Paul George could be added to the mix to inject that superstardom the franchise has desperately needed. Things are looking up in ways it honestly hasn’t felt possible for way too long, but some questions remains. First, how does this current roster fit as is? Then, how would it work if Ball is drafted? And finally, if George does arrive in a year without major changes around him, how would everything fit? To answer those questions and more, Anthony welcomes Pete Zayas (@LakerFilmRoom). Harrison (studying Kardashians) could not make it. This was a very fun conversation covering the potential growth of what could be a very exciting team both this year and for the foreseeable future.

The Los Angeles Lakers may not be in the postseason, but the team has certainly been busy over the summer. The front office has been working out countless candidates for the 2017 NBA Draft, and with rumors about Paul George and Lonzo Ball’s father doing interviews with every media outlet that will have him, there certainly doesn’t seem to be an “off” in the “offseason.” To discuss everything going on around the Lakers, host Harrison Faigen kicked Anthony Irwin off the show and brought on Chris McGee of Spectrum Sportsnet for wide-ranging discussion on who the front office likes in the draft (Lonzo Ball may not be a shoe-in to be picked second overall), as well as what the young Lakers are doing to improve. The two also discussed Luke Walton’s busy summer and McGee’s thoughts on the George rumor mill on the latest episode of Locked on Lakers.

The New York Knicks could be on the verge of doing the entire NBA a favor by once again Knicks-ing (technical term). Kristaps Porzingis has already shown his annoyance with Phil Jackson by skipping out on his exit interview, and instead of understanding that maybe he might’ve been in the wrong, Jackson turned around and let Porzingis’ favorite coach walk. Good stuff, Phil! The Lakers should look to take advantage of this latest example of the Knicks being the Knicks, as Anthony argues. Harrison is less optimistic. Shocker, we know. To wrap the show, we update on the latest that could take place regarding Paul George this week. He’s reportedly considering his options, so we try to figure out what they might be.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Paul George are going to be intertwined with one another in rumors all offseason, and George missing out on all three All-NBA teams Thursday felt like a major reason why. Hosts Harrison Faigen and Anthony Irwin got together for a lengthy discussion breaking down all of the new information to drop, including how much money George potentially lost out on and all of the leaks that seem to point towards his eventually ending up in Los Angeles being an inevitability on the latest episode of Locked on Lakers.

The basketball gods smiled on the Los Angeles Lakers once again, allowing the team to keep it’s lightly-protected first-round pick in the NBA Draft for the second year in a row. In fact, not only did the Lakers keep the pick, but they jumped into the second-overall selection to boot. After a brief intro to the show that attempted to put the D’Angelo Russell trade rumors in context, host Harrison Faigen brought on Mike Prada of SB Nation NBA for a wide-ranging discussion on what keeping the pick means for the Lakers, who they might select, if Lonzo Ball can play alongside Russell and how the pick impacts the Lakers’ potential pursuit of Paul George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers.

The NBA lottery is within a tangible reach and, well, people are freaking out. So, to start the show, Harrison and I do our best to preview the lottery with all the information you absolutely need. I also dropped maybe my hottest take ever on the show. Then, after the usual live read featuring Harrison freaking out about my search for a new co-host, Brandon Ingram made his maiden Locked on Lakers voyage! Ingram talked about how his offseason has gone thus far, as well as his goals for the summer moving forward. He also spoke about the rookie year that was and what he would specifically like to learn from Kobe Bryant when he works out with him. After that interview and Harrison’s corresponding annoyance at whatever he gets annoyed with, we expand on the hot take that ended the first segment. We also preview how we might get to watch the lottery, together.