Lakers Trade Rumors: Jodie Meeks Would Give Them a Championship-Worthy Bench

No matter how good a starting lineup may be, a bench is necessary to compete for a championship.

Injuries can happen, and fill-ins are needed. Plus, even if the pesky injury imp doesn't strike, depth is a useful feature on a roster. 

Such is the case for the Los Angeles Lakers, who lay claim to arguably the best starting five in the NBA. 

However, the rumored addition of Jodie Meeks would give them a bench capable of helping them to a title. 

HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy has the scoop here: 

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to express interest in Jodie Meeks, according to source. No deal is imminent, but the two sides are talking.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 27, 2012 By re-signing Jordan Hill and adding Antawn Jamison to the pack, the Lakers have already shored up their frontcourt to provide relief for Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. 

Hill is a breakout contender if he receives enough minutes, and Jamison should contend for Sixth Man of the Year as the unquestioned leader of the second unit. 

Adding Meeks to the backcourt portion of the bench would draw that leadership role into question. In this case, it's a good thing because the scoring load would be a bit more balanced. 



Meeks is by no means a star player, but rather a three-point specialist who can spot up and find the bottom of the net from long-range consistently throughout the game. 

With a two-headed scoring threat coming off the bench, the Lakers would finally turn a weakness into a strength. It wouldn't be a huge strength by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be enough for them to get by while Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Gasol and Bynum caught their breath. 

This is a move that the Lakers need to make. 

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