Who Does Kobe Bryant Need to Get the Lakers Back on Top?

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers looked far from a championship contender in their Western Conference semifinal series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder this spring.

So, who do the Lakers need to get back on top?

Here we examine three players who would drastically improve the Lakers and help Kobe Bryant challenge for his sixth NBA title.

Dwight Howard

LA should look to send center Andrew Bynum to Orlando along with either a first-round draft pick or perhaps involve Pau Gasol in a three-team trade that brings Superman to Hollywood. Bynum is two years younger than Howard and doesn't have an ailing back, so he's the guy the Magic would most likely want in return. 

If the Lakers can pull off a Bynum-Howard deal without having to part ways with one of their seven-footers, Gasol, then they would easily be considered a threat to win it all in 2013.

Lamar Odom

Arguably the biggest difference for the LA Lakers this past postseason was the void in the frontcourt left by Lamar Odom, who was traded to the defending champion Dallas Mavericks after he had a falling out with the front office following the lockout. The ill feelings came after a botched trade involving Odom. 

The Mavericks actually asked Odom to go home late in the season before the playoffs began because he was so unhappy and bad in Big D. Odom played in 50 games last season, averaging 6.6 points per game and shooting a dismal 35 percent from the field. 

Odom was a big-time sixth man for the Lakers during their latest championship run and averaged a double-double in two of his seven seasons in LA.

Randy Foye

LA Clippers point guard Randy Foye wouldn't have to go far if he were to join the Lakers this offseason. The sharpshooting Foye hit more than 38 percent of his shots from downtown last season, and averaged 11 points in less than 26 minutes per game. 

Foye isn't a phenomenal passer, but is a definite shooting upgrade over Ramon Sessions, who has a $4.6 million player option this summer. Considering that the basketball flows through Kobe Bryant on most nights, LA might be better off acquiring shooters to surround the Black Mamba.

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