What the Lakers COULD HAVE done..

The nixed Chris Paul trade was one which mentally wounded both Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. These two players were integral to the success of L.A. in its 3 trips to the finals spanning from 2007-2010. There were several deals and opportunities on the table that L.A. could have swayed this year to strengthen their bench. I will revisit some of what L.A. should have bit on and tried their hand at to make L.A. better than what they showed this postseason.

Exhibit A: Gasol and Odom

As a GM and a leader in Kobe, I would have to intervene and explain to the two that the NBA is a business and you can’t get your feelings involved. With that said, get your minds right and lets compete for a title. Kobe should have stuck it out for Odom especially as we seen him do for Pau in the middle of the year. This move would have retained Odom.

Exhibit B: Proposed 3 team deal that involved Jamaal Crawford, Steve Blake, and Mike Beasley

Sources say that Minny was ready to send Mike Beasley to L.A. If I’m the Lakers, I would have gave them the 2nd round pick or trade exception that they once owned and sent Blake for Beasley. Portland woulda got a veteran PG and Minny gets a MUCH needed SG. The money worked for this trade and the move should have been made.

Exhibit C: Sessions for Walton, Kapono

This was a good move for L.A. that they capitalizaed on BUT used the pick from Dallas. Instead of that pick, I would have used the trade exception or the 2nd rounder if one or the other wasn’t used in the hypothetical Steve Blake trade.

Exhibit D: Fisher, pick for Jordan Hill

L.A. did this trade for salary purposes, BUT I wouldn’t have done it. I’d kept Fisher on board and let him mold and mentor Sessions to bring into the starting role.

Exhibit E: J.J. Hickson, Terrence Williams waived 

L.A. should have signed Terrence Williams to a minimum contract after the Rockets dog-housed and waived him. Maybe L.A. should have flipped a Josh McRoberts for Hickson from the SAC Kings AND got a nice, young big.

Exhibit F: Gilbert Arenas

Sign him to a small contract since he will ALWAYS get paid from that GOD-AWFUL contract. Low risk, high reward. They waived Derrick Caracter which opened up a spot on their team, so Arenas would be able to come on-board.

Exhibit G: Matt Barnes

I woulda looked to move Matt Barnes and his expiring contract for a shooter, preferably Anthony Morrow of the New Jersey Nets. Marshon Brooks and Gerald Green have started getting Morrow’s minutes so he will probably be out of the rotation. You give the Nets a tough vet at the SF position to play spot minutes for them.

The Lakers roster should have looked like this:

Fisher

Bryant

World Peace

Gasol

Bynum

Reserves: PG- Ramon Sessions, SG- Terrence Willaims, SF- Mike Beasley, PF- Lamar Odom, C- J.J. Hickson, PG/SG- Andrew Goudelock, SF- Devin Ebanks, PG- Darius Morris, and PF- Troy Murphy.

It still doesn’t get L.A. over the hump, but this is a MUCH deeper ball club that could learn if the money was enough for them to retain some of these guys in the future. You are younger, and athletic in key spots and have lots of versatility between Odom, Beasley, and Williams. S.hooters would be Morrow and Arenas, and some decent bigs in Murphy and Hickson.