Lakers Trade Rumors: LA Has Checked in on Pistons' Danilo Gallinari Ahead of Deadline

If the hapless Detroit Pistons end up trading off veterans before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, don't be shocked if Danilo Gallinari is on the move.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Los Angeles Lakers "are among the teams who've checked in on Gallinari's price tag to acquire him."

The Lakers need to shake things up before Thursday. The team is just 26-25 and currently clinging to a Play-In Tournament berth despite getting excellent seasons from LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The key to building a contender around those two has always been surrounding them with shooting and solid defenders. And Gallinari would at least scratch that first itch.

The 35-year-old is averaging 7.5 points and 2.8 points in 31 games this season between the Washington Wizards and Pistons, shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three. For his career, he's a 38.2 percent shooter from deep and playing with James would certainly lead to some wide-open looks.

Would his addition be a season-altering move for the Lakers? No, probably not. The team may need to add a true third star if they want to keep pace with some of the top contenders. Gallinari is little more than a role player off the bench for a team like the Lakers at this point.

But in recent seasons, the team has taken the approach of trying to put complementary pieces around James and Davis rather than going for broke on a third star. That likely comes back to being burnt on the Russell Westbrook experiment.

As for other potential targets, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said the team "phoned Memphis" regarding Marcus Smart, though the Grizzlies "have shut down any overtures for the veteran guard."

And Jovan Buha of The Athletic noted that Los Angeles "is putting a greater emphasis on adding a defensive wing by the trade deadline."

Change is probably coming for these Lakers. It just remains to be seen how much of a splash it will be.