The Los Angeles Lakers boast one of the league’s most talented trios in Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. After those three, though, the drop-off is steep. Buss must make a move if he plans on hanging another championship banner from the rafters, and recent developments suggest that the move will be a blockbuster one.
With crater-like holes at the point guard and small forward position, L.A. has been linked heavily to Ramon Sessions and Michael Beasley over the past month. However, neither player now looks like an option.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported on March 1st that the Lakers declined the Minnesota Timberwolves’ offer of Beasley for a first-round pick. The Los Angeles Times’ Mike Bresnahan reported on the same day that the Lakers turned down the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offer of a first-round selection for Ramon Sessions as well.
So basically, the only remaining options that wouldn’t include dealing away Gasol or Bynum are signing Gilbert Arenas or trading for Jose Calderon (whose contract is too high to work with the trade exception), Raymond Felton (but the Lakers just declined a trade for more-talented Sessions) or Kirk Hinrich (same thing).
A Boston-L.A. swap for Rajon Rondo or Paul Pierce looks like nothing but talk, and according to the New York Daily News’ Peter Vecsey, the Orlando Magic don’t want Bynum.
The NBA.com’s Sam Smith believes that there’s a 75 percent chance that Pau will be traded and that the most likely destination would be the Houston Rockets in a swap for Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola. The deal would give the Lakers a huge upgrade at the point guard position while still receiving a starting-caliber power forward in return.
Simply upgrading the ta...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
