Lakers interview Brandon Ingram at NBA combine

The Los Angeles Lakers have been busy over the past few days at the NBA combine in Chicago. On one hand, the team is preparing like they won't have a first round pick by setting up workouts with prospects unlikely to be drafted, like Mamadou N'Diaye of UCI and Indiana's Troy Williams and Yogi Ferrell.

On the other hand, despite general manager Mitch Kupchak saying the team is readying themselves for the draft as if they won't have first round pick, the front office is still interviewing several top prospects that could be in play for a top-three overall selection. The team was reportedly "impressed" with Kentucky guard Jamal Murray and also interviewed Jaylen Brown out of the University of California, who said he wants to emulate Kobe Bryant's work ethic.

Both Murray and Brown are contenders for the third overall selection, along with Croatian big man Dragan Bender who, according to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, did not attend the combine. As far as the presumptive top two selections in the draft, Ben Simmons of LSU and Brandon Ingram of Duke, Medina reports that "the Lakers still interviewed Ingram, though they have not had any formal contact with Simmons yet."

Before Lakers fans get too excited, we don't have any details on how these meetings went, or even know if the Lakers will keep their pick (they have a 55.8 percent chance to keep it). Still, it's notable that the team is getting interviews with these top prospects and doing their homework as they prepare for such a critical offseason.

You can follow this author on Twitter at @hmfaigen.