Gilbert Arenas to Lakers: Should the Lakers Be Interested in Allen Iverson Too?

According to Alex Kennedy at HoopsWorld, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in signing former Orlando Magic guard Gilbert Arenas, but is there really any reason why?

I know the Lakers are facing some serious questions at the point guard position, but does general manager Mitch Kupchak or whomever is making the decisions feel there are any answers to be found in Arenas?

Don't get me wrong. I used to love the type of player Arenas was, but a slew of knee injuries have robbed him of his quickness, explosiveness and his leaping ability. You know, all the things that made Arenas a special player.

The version of Arenas we saw during limited action with the Magic last season was just a shell of his former self, and that shell embodied all the worst parts of his game.

When healthy, Arenas had garnered the reputation as somewhat of a ball hog who was content to launch jumpers from the perimeter, instead of using his superior quickness attacking the rim.

In Orlando, Arenas no longer had the quickness to blow by many defenders, but he still seemed to enjoy throwing up ill-advised shots from three-point land.

In fact, at this stage in his career, adding Arenas would not be much of an upgrade over Derek Fisher, since it is questionable if he can get to the rim any better, and he has never had Fisher's nose for defense.

Honestly, all Arenas would likely do for the Lakers is give them another aging player in the back court, who is a worse perimeter shooter than Steve Blake, a worse defender than Fisher and a potential cancer in the locker room.

Not to mention, Arenas would likely take valuable time away from developing guards Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock, who could mean much more to the future of the Lakers franchise than Arenas.

If this rumor is true, and considering how vague Kennedy is concerning his sources, I have my doubts, then it would be a move that reeks of desperation.

And if the Lakers are really that desperate why not reach out to Allen Iverson instead? In theory Iverson makes about just as much sense as Arenas, and at least he still has the ability to get to the rim.

I'm not sure what Iverson is doing right now, but last I heard he was playing in Turkey, and he and Arenas had exactly the same amount of offers from NBA teams.

By the way, does anyone else find it a little curious that no team has stepped up to offer either Arenas or Iverson a deal? Before Kennedy's column, I had yet to even hear Arenas generate any kind of real interest.

Other teams are staying away from Arenas, but for some reason the Lakers are ready to accept his history of baggage and on-court and off-court issues?

Arenas has a history of problems with each NBA team he has played for, which is a trait that he has in common with Iverson.

The Lakers are a team known for taking chances on players who have been deemed to have character issues (Ron Artest, Dennis Rodman), so why not take a chance on a player like Iverson, who may still have a little gas left in the tank?

In reality, I think a move for Arenas, Iverson or any other aging guard for that matter makes little to no sense for a team who is beginning to transition towards the future, but since the Lakers are in the hunt for a point guard, has anyone heard from John Stockton lately?