Does it have to be Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom?

June 29, 12:06 PMLos Angeles Lakers ExaminerColin Ward-Henninger

Previous Next

5 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Los Angeles Lakers Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Is Ariza really the best the Lakers can get?
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

The free agent sweepstakes officially starts tomorrow and, as a Los Angeles Lakers fan, you have to be excited.

Whatever enthusiasm you had drained out of you by watching the Lakers trade their first two picks in the draft and conclude by taking somebody called Chinemelu Elonu, will quickly be restored by watching the Lakers battle other franchises for the right to keep their championship team intact by re-signing Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom.

Re-signing the two forwards has been the Lakers off-season focus since Ariza's emergence midseason, and they even parted ways with the fan-favorite and consummate Space Cadet Vladimir Radmanovic in order to free up some cap room for them. On the plus side, they got Adam Morrison a ring.

But it begs the question (posed by Brian Kamenetzky of the LA Times Lakers Blog):

Is there anyone else on the market the Lakers should be looking at instead of Ariza and Odom?

They give a link to the complete list of free agents, but I still believe the Lakers should (and will) stick with Ariza and Odom. That being said, here are a couple that I think could pique the Lakers' interest:

• Ron Artest - While Ariza is great at shooting the lanes and picking up steals, he's still not a lock-down one-on-one defender. Artest can shut down star players...or at least kill himself trying. And by all accounts he has put his Ron-Ron days behind him, so he could be worth taking a gamble on.
• Chris Andersen (aka the Birdman) - who didn't fall in love with this guy during the Denver Nuggets series? His hustle and enthusiasm are contagious, so he would be a great addition to a team that sometimes lacks effort from the second unit.
• Shawn Marion - I've never been a big fan of this guy, but you can't argue with the stats. He was a borderline league MVP in Phoenix and, although he's had a drop-off, has to be considered on par with Ariza on defense. He lacks Odom's versatility, but could be a nice piece.
• Kwame Brown - although he's been in the league for seven years, he's still got some upside. Plus the Laker fans would love to have someone to boo again.

All jokes aside, if Ariza or Odom gets courted away by a better offer, Artest, Andersen, and Marion would be great second-efforts in the free agent race. Not so much Kwame.