1. Will Steve Nash's tenure with the Lakers influence how you will remember his career?

Holmes: Not really. He was hurt, and it didn't work out. But Nash will be defined as one of the greatest point guards ever to play the game, a player who beautifully ran a revolutionary Phoenix Suns offense that many teams today try to mimic in ways big and small. There are so many incredible statistical achievements on his résumé -- too many to name. I'll remember all that, not these last few years.

Shelburne: No. I've already forgotten he was a Laker. Nash will be remembered for his time with the Suns. That's where he made his mark and had his greatest years. These last three years in Los Angeles are just the unsatisfying postscript to a Hall of Fame career. Now, if I were Lakers management, it wouldn't be so easy to forget his tenure in L.A. The draft picks they gave up -- and the salary they committed to him -- set the franchise back in immeasurable ways. They'll be digging out from that trade for at least another year or two. But that's the Lakers' issue, not Nash's. He can retire with his legacy intact and head held high.

Markazi: No. Like Michael Jordan's time with the Washington Wizards at the end of his career, I don't think anyone will really focus on it years down the line when we talk about his Hall of Fame career. It would be nice if he could have ended his career on a better note, but it doesn't take away from everything he did in Dallas and Phoenix that made him one of the best point guards ever.

2. Have we reached the point where we can we say Jordan Clarkson is the real deal?

Holmes: I think we've reached the point where Clarkson has definitely proved he can play in this league and has the potential to be a rotation player for the Lakers going forward. Is he a starting point guard in the NBA? Not at the moment. He might be one day, but that's maybe the most stacked position in the league right now. Either way, he has proven he belongs. That's pretty impressive for a second-round pick.

Shelburne: Yes. The kid just keeps getting better and better each game. I think he has established himself as part of the Lakers' future. It's still debatable how big a role he will play. On this team, in this season, you can't really tell if Clarkson is a future starter or a future backup. But he's clearly a player the Lakers will want to keep around long enough to find out.

Markazi: Yes. I think Clarkson is a solid player who could have a long future for the Lakers, but I still don't see him being the long-term answer as the starting point guard. I still think the Lakers eventually will end up with Russell Westbrook but until then, maybe Clarkson can keep his seat warm.

3. If the Lakers keep their protected draft pick, is there a player or position on which they should focus their attention?

Holmes: If Duke's Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns is there, I'd take one of those two above all others simply because good big men are hard to find. If not, Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell looks as if he could be a point guard of the future for some lottery team. He has been very, very impressive.

Shelburne: No. Just take the best player available. You don't know yet what you really have in Julius Randle or Clarkson. Both are talented, but it's too soon to know where their ceilings are. The most important thing for a franchise with as many holes to fill as the Lakers is to draft the best player available. Worry about position later. Talent is what matters now.

Markazi: I don't think there's a particular position. They need help at a lot of positions. It's hard to say who they'll pick without knowing where they'll be picking, but I obviously think Okafor would be the prized pick followed by Emmanuel Mudiay and Towns.