Lakers Rumors: Can Steve Nash Deliver Kobe One Last Ring?

David Aldridge of NBA.com is reporting that the Los Angeles Lakers have entered the mix for Steve Nash.

The Lakers don't have as much cap room as other teams, like the Toronto Raptors—who have reportedly offered Nash a three-year contract worth $36 million—which handicaps the Lakers in their pursuit of Nash.

The one hope for the Lakers is that they could pull off a sign-and-trade that would bring Nash to play alongside the twin towers, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, and the black mamba, Kobe Bryant.

The purpose of pursuing Nash isn't to start building around him in L.A—as he will turn 39 years old during the 2012-'13 season—but rather to win a title in the near future.

While that sounds great in theory, winning with Nash and Kobe on the same court is something that, while possible, would require a lot of change, especially on Kobe's part.

Nash doesn't bring prolific scoring to the court. That's not what made him an All-Star and a two-time NBA MVP.

What makes Nash so special is his ability to facilitate.

That has worked for Nash for the majority of his 16-year NBA career, but could it translate into championship success with the Lakers?

It certainly could, but it would mean that Kobe would have to be willing to take a step back in terms of being the focal point on offense for the Lakers.

Kobe would have to hand over the reins of the Lakers offense to Nash in exchange for a truly viable shot at a championship. I'm not sure that's something that Kobe would be interested in doing.

It depends on how bad Kobe wants to win his sixth ring.

Bringing Nash to the Lakers wouldn't mean a large increase in offensive production from the point guard position, which is arguably what the Lakers need most.

It would mean that the Lakers would not only play more like a complete team, but their offense would be centered around Nash creating offense, which would be a change for Kobe.

Nash brought success to Phoenix by controlling the pace of the game and making his teammates around him better. That's the same skill he would bring to L.A.

Nash has never played with a player on Kobe Bryant's level. It would certainly be interesting to see if Nash's skills as a facilitator could translate alongside an elite player like Kobe.

The backcourt combo of Nash and Kobe, combined with the frontcourt tandem of Bynum and Gasol, would be an absolute nightmare for teams to match up against.

While Nash wouldn't be able to run in the transition as much as he did in Phoenix, he would be at the center of one of the NBA's most formidable half-court offenses.

There's no doubt that Nash could help bring a championship to L.A. and give Kobe his sixth ring. It would take a lot of work and would require Kobe to take a step back in the offense.

If Kobe is willing to make some changes to the way he approaches the game, he can join the elite ranks of NBA players to win at least six NBA titles.