'And with the 7th Pick, The Los Angeles Lakers Select...

I'm excited! Are you? This is a very important day for our franchise. Who we pick (or what we do with that pick) is the most important first step in our rebuilding process. Until who we pick up in the free agent market. That will be the next important step. But it all starts with this draft.

Regardless if you and I believe that Kobe deserved that insane contract based on his lifetime achievements wearing a Laker uni, that contract put us in a hole! Solely looking at it based on the realities of this new restrictive CBA that was a terrible decision.

But anyway, spilled milk! In any case, that contract makes this draft even that more important. Especially since we don't have a second-rounder this year or a first rounder next year because of the Steve Nash trade. Nor do we have a second-round pick next year because of the Dwight Howard trade. So we must make this 7th pick count!

What do Ben McLemore, Harrison Barnes, Bismack Biyombo, Greg Monroe, Stephen Curry, Eric Gordon, Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Charlie Villanueva, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Nene Hilario, Eddie Griffin & Chris Mihm all have in common? Right! They were all picked #7 in the draft.

At #7 we could still get the best player in the draft. For example the best player in last years draft (Michael Carter-Williams) was drafted at #11. The best player in the 2011 draft (Kawhi Leonard) was drafted at #15. The best player in the 2010 draft (Paul George) was drafted #10.

And my personal favorite that most Laker fans don't even know is Rajon Rondo. Did you know that The Lakers actually traded Rondo (the 21st pick) away? I bet that you didn't know that trivia. Would you trade away Rick Fox, Gary Payton & Rajon Rondo for Chucky Atkins, Jumaine Jones and Chris Mihm? .......... Me neither! But The Lakers did!!!

Here's how it went down:

Shaquille O’Neal wanted out of Los Angeles in the worst way, and the Lakers obliged. Shaq was disheartened at the departure of coach Phil Jackson and at the Lakers' refusal to give him a contract extension, So he demanded a trade the day after the season ended.”

They traded him to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, a 2006 first-round pick (that eventually became Jordan Farmar) and a 2007 second-rounder (Renaldas Seibutis).

With O’Neal gone, the Lakers unloaded the elder statesmen on the team in an effort to give Kobe Bryant some young players that could get up and down the court.

Then The Purple and Gold traded away Rick Fox, Gary Payton and a 2006 first-round pick (later became Rajon Rondo) to the Boston Celtics for Chucky Atkins, Jumaine Jones and Chris Mihm.

Needless to say, The Lakers likely want that deal back.

Crazy! Huh?

Anyways, whoever we choose in this draft, we can't afford to mess up. I don't envy Mitch right now. These are Big Boy decisions. And unfortunately there's no crystal ball. So it's almost a crapshoot. But that's his job. That's why he's getting paid the big bucks!

The ball is in Mitch's hands. Now what is he going to do with it?

..."And with the 7th pick, The Los Angeles Lakers select.................."?????

they trade the pick to the bucks for Antetokounmpo and henson. if they keep the pick i say they draft payton.

It'd be a dream if Embiid somehow fell to the 7th pick. I doubt he'll make it past the 5th pick much less the 7th. It's fine though, if we can get Payton or Smart instead that'd be great. The 3 guys at the top of my draft list at the moment is Embiid, Payton, then Smart. If we can get one of these guys, I'll be a happy man.

LMMFAO!!!!!...That's Cold dude....

I think we trade Pick to Sixers along w Nash. 2014/15 Roster

MCW/ Farmar

Kobe/ Henry

Melo or Lebron/ Nick Young

Gasol/ Thadeous Young

Greg Monroe/ Sacre

Another option draft Julius Randle sign Lowry and go after Lebron or Melo. But we would have to find someone to take Nash and more than likely would lose Gasol

Lowry/ Farmar

Kobe/ Henry

Melo or Lebron/ Nick Young

Randle/ Hill

Monroe/ Sacre

I was just posting something similar to your 2nd lineup (but don't think I want Melo)

Not sure about Monroe though, some articles out there showing his deficiencies.

Randle seems to fit in nicely there though...

I was suggesting including Chicago in the 76ers deal to get us Taj Gibson... but it was just a lark of an idea, no tin love with Gibson

I think we draft randle and have to sign one of these free agents this season…

Lebron, Melo, lowry, Bledsoe, Monroe, deng

Then if we don't spend on two of them this off season look to add one of these guys in 2015

Aldridge, Love, Marc Gasol, rondo, ….some one to compliment our 2014 signing

If we can get MCW for our seventh pick and get rid of Nash's contract, that is a win win. There should be no reluctance to make that deal. I really really want a point guard that is not someone else throwaway.

finally this day comes!! can't wait for the Draft to start! I'm anxious to see who we pick! my Guess: Marcus Smart!

If we can get MCW for our seventh pick and get rid of Nash's contract, that is a win win. There should be no reluctance to make that deal. I really really want a point guard that is not someone else throwaway.

Wouldn't MCW be Philly's throw away since they kicked him to the curb after wanting to draft Exum?

Wouldn't MCW be Philly's throw away since they kicked him to the curb after wanting to draft Exum?

You have a point. But the kid did become rookie of the year. To me, throwaways are those guys that we pulled up from the D league or were waived by their previous team....so like half of our roster last year.

Indeed. A big day! One way or the other it's bound to be both interesting AND controversial.

So much depends on who is still available. But if I had to guess, I think we'll be drafting Smart. Absolutely no pun intended

Such an exciting day.

Wouldn't be surprised nor disappointed with Payton. Three years of college ball under his belt. Not to mention he is only 20 years old.

I want Marcus Smart, if we pick Embiid I'm going to be so pissed...

if embiid slipped past 6.. take him... he's young so he'll be able to fully recover and has a lot of potential. or get smart if embiid isn't available... or trade out 7th for someone who can make an impact right away...

if embiid slipped past 6.. take him... he's young so he'll be able to fully recover and has a lot of potential. or get smart if embiid isn't available... or trade out 7th for someone who can make an impact right away...

your first two options sound good but I like randle over both and you don't have him on here. Randle is a work horse who will contribute right now and kill in pick and roll with kobe. I think he would be rookie of the year contender with Jabari parker, they are most nba ready out of the bunch.

EMBIID scares the crap out of me... Really want him but that foot will have 2 screws in it forever

And the back which could flair up again and again

I like Smart ... He brings a nastiness that we need ....and can defend all the good guards out west ... I like Payron for that same reason , lock down defender

Like RANDLE a lot but not sure he would make an immediate impact for our squad

We can score ... We can't defend

same about embiid. He is truly the biggest risk vs reward in a long time to be in the draft.

I like smart nothing wrong with him as a pick but I think his game offensively will take some time to transition but he will be a defensive force right off the bat.

Randle is my pick because he loves to rebound so he can be productive even when the ball is in kobe's hands, he can pick and roll with kobe, he brings speed to the power forward position which we have not seen for awhile, has the same recorded vertical as blake griffin recorded at the combine. And has the right attitude, from reports he killed himself for us at the pre-draft workout.

your first two options sound good but I like randle over both and you don't have him on here. Randle is a work horse who will contribute right now and kill in pick and roll with kobe. I think he would be rookie of the year contender with Jabari parker, they are most nba ready out of the bunch.

I feel ya ... RANDLE is nba ready ... But for what we need ... We need a guy who can't stop penetration and break down our defense

U can have the best defender down low ( Howard ) but if u can't stop the ball up top it doesn't matter

We get killed by other PG'S ... If we cause havoc up top , it puts less strain on our defense

So many good PG'S out west it's not even funny

1. Smart

2. Randle

3. Payton

4. Embiid

But if you can get some good proven players and ditch Nash's contract I'd go for that.

thats why i like us targeting lowry or bledsoe in free agency. To see returns right away I feel like we need more experience at point guard but still not old. My preferred would be getting bledsoe and drafting randle. But I get what your saying I will be just as happy with smart. Embiid will keep me terrified for his 6 months of rehabilitation till we see what we got on the court.

thats why i like us targeting lowry or bledsoe in free agency. To see returns right away I feel like we need more experience at point guard but still not old. My preferred would be getting bledsoe and drafting randle. But I get what your saying I will be just as happy with smart. Embiid will keep me terrified for his 6 months of rehabilitation till we see what we got on the court.

Co-sign... If we do that then I'm good with RANDLE

And co-sign on EMBIID ... I'm really scared if he's there we take him ... We are one of 5 teams or so who have his medical records

Even though he's young it's still a major surgery on a foot ... U run a lot in basketball... Lol

Our best bet would be to get Embid and have him sit out the whole year to get better. If Kobe does not come back as good as expected and/or gets hurt again we might end up with another lottery pick (top 5).

I think lakers might trade their 7th pick and somehow get love

lakers can't afford to have another lost season waiting on embiid with kobe being impatient, their new tv deal, and the lakers audience being vicious when we don't win.

Gimmie Randle! If were drafting a pg, if i had to choose between Smart or Payton id go Payton.. He has leadership abilities as well as has a decent shot. And he is lightning quick! Smart's shot scares me.. And i believe his shot will never improve like Rondo... But Smart's other assets are beast as well.. If only he had a shot... Hed be the best and most complete pg cling into the draft

lmao espn lakers reporter spoke super fast

HERE WE GO!!!

This should be an "all in" statement by saying I fear having Bynum 2.0, but I'll roll the dice on Embiid

#1 pick: cavs picked wiggins

#2 pick: bucks picked parker

Same here!! Watching those side by side Hakeem and embiid video was incredible how alike they are.

#3 pick: sixers picked embiid

Did you guys see Embids face !?? What was that all about?

Ha!!! Sixers chose Embiid and showed his face on the screen. He was all like "Ahhh Maaan!".

I think he really thought he'd fall to lakers.

Now the producers prolly told him to fake it like he's excited.

Aaron Gordon and Exum next....Lakers going for Smart?

O wow!!! Is exum going to fall! !!

Wow. Aaron Gordon #4

#4 pick: magic picked gordan

C'mon Exum!!! He's just a grasp away now that Orlando didn't get him.

Aaron Gordon 4th?

So either Exum, Smart, or Randle? I'll take it.

Don't know if Utah goes for exum. Mocks have vonleh, hope mocks right! !

man those last couple of wins are kicking our butts right now with exum most likely going 5th.

I want EXUM❗️❗️❗️

ESPN and Yahoo both reporting that Jazz will take Exum.

Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#5 pick: jaz picked exum