Los Angeles Lakers: 10 Guards Who Can Take Team to the Next Level

The Los Angeles Lakers may have Kobe Bryant, but arguably still have one of the weaker backcourts in the NBA today.

This is not taking anything away from Kobe, but instead points to the fact that a serious upgrade is needed at the point guard position for LA.

Derek Fisher has hit some big shots for the Lakers, but it's time for him to pass the torch. There are many guards out there ready and willing to come and play alongside Kobe Bryant and for one of the most historic franchises in sports.

But what it's going to come down to is who does Mitch Kupchak want to bring on board, and who, if anyone, is he willing to trade away in the hopes of improving?

It doesn't have to be a point guard. There are many off guards that could come in and have an immediate impact. 

Although the Lakers' options do seem limited, that is not so. I believe the reason they haven't made a change is due to all the options that they have.

Before the trade deadline there is no doubt in my mind that they will make a move, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was signing or trading for one of these guards.

Gilbert Arenas

As of late, this is the move with the most buzz and anticipation surrounding it. Especially after Kobe gave what some people have labeled his approval.

I feel as though this would be one of the smartest moves the Lakers could make. Of course, Arenas didn't play his best basketball in Orlando, but he had limited minutes and far from a solidified role in a frantic Magic offense.

However, the reason I feel as though he would be great for the Lakers is that he can play both the 1 and the 2. He can be a distributor and a scorer. He can run the offense and hit a game winner.

He may not be the best on the defensive end, but he is not bad by any means.

Although I don't think Arenas would come in and cause any trouble, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers organization would make sure of it.

He is simply looking to play for a contender. The Lakers may be the only team after him, but the signing of Arenas would be a beneficial one.

Like I have always said, signing Arenas is a low risk move that could result in a very high reward. 

Ramon Sessions

In Kyrie Irving's absence due to injury, Ramon Sessions has showed that he can still be an extremely good and efficient point guard.

He is fast, crafty, and has no trouble creating his own shots. Not only that, but he has quick hands on D and can keep up with the quick guards consuming the league today.

The acquisition of Ramon Sessions is being severely underrated, but if the Lakers do decide to go in this direction, I do not believe they will be disappointed.

They will not have to give up too much for him, but I don't think the Cavs will settle for just a draft pick, considering they already have three first-round picks in the upcoming draft.

Rajon Rondo

This move is not likely, but there has been talks of swapping Rajon Rondo straight up for Pau Gasol.

This wouldn't be a smart move for the Celtics, but apparently Danny Ainge is considering taking his team in a very different direction.

Johnny Flynn

Johnny Flynn is a small point guard who was booted out of Minnesota with the arrival of rookie sensation Ricky Rubio.

Playing little minutes behind MVP candidate Kyle Lowry, he is not in a happy place right now in his career.

However, he is not a bad point guard. If the Lakers were to acquire Flynn, it would not likely be a player-for-player trade. They could likely pry Luis Scola and Kevin Martin away from the rockets, considering the fact that they were ready to give them away during the lockout.

The rockets are still very interested in Pau Gasol. If the Lakers are willing to trade Pau, I believe they should look long and hard at this deal.

With Scola stepping in at the 4, Flynn stepping in at the 1, and Kevin Martin providing another deadly offensive weapon, that's arguably an improved Laker roster.

Steve Nash

Steve Nash deserves to play for a contender. He is one of the most loyal players to ever play the game, but he deserves to play for a contending team with the last few years he has left on the clock.

He may be older than all the other players on this list, but he's worth the risk. Kobe Bryant doesn't have many years left either, and he wants to win now.

Of course, it's not too early to start rebuilding, but Steve Nash could easily transform the Lakers into serious contenders.

However, Steve Nash being traded anywhere is very unlikely. He has a year or two left until he retires and no team is looking to trade one of their young talents for an aging Nash.

Brandon Jennings

Brandon Jennings has recently hinted at an exit from Milwaukee. The LA native is having a good season, and it is easy to make the case that he should have been an All-Star this year.

Clearly, Jennings, and his big personalty, is looking to play for a bigger market. I believe it is safe to assume that he would be happy with a trade to his hometown and to a contender.

That being said, Jennings is one of the premier point guards in the league. Pairing him with Kobe in the backcourt would be a tough guard for defenses.

DJ Augastin

DJ Augastin will reportedly be back in the starting line-up on Wednesday. This will move Kemba Walker back to second streak, although he's been the one and only bright spot during the Bobcat's 15-game slide.

It's no secret that the Bobcats could use some change to their defeated roster. Trading away either Kemba Walker or DJ Augastin would be risky, but could pay off big time.

It is not likely that the Bobcats will part ways with their rookie sensation and crowd favorite Kemba Walker, so I wouldn't be surprised if Augastin was shipped out after too long.

Augastin was playing some great basketball before his injury and he should get back to his old ways soon enough.

DJ would be a great addition to the Lakers because of his ability to shoot the ball and take command of an offense.

Kirk Hinrich

There have been reports in the past of the Lakers showing interest in Kirk Hinrich.

Hinrich is another situation like Johnny Flynn because a trade for him would not likely be a simple player-for-player deal.

The Lakers could likely put together a deal that would include Pau Gasol in the hopes of acquiring not only Kirk Hinrich, but also Josh Smith and maybe even another young talent.

Once again this deal would come down to if the Lakers are willing to trade away Gasol, who is admittedly playing some good basketball as of late.

However, clearly something needs to change for the Lakers if they hope to contend this year.

JR Smith

JR Smith is done with his stint in China and is ready to come back to the NBA.

There are multiple teams interested in him, and in reality, the Lakers would not really be the best fit for him, considering the fact that he would share minutes at the 2.

Nevertheless, playing for the Lakers is always enticing. 

Kobe has been playing more minutes than Mike Brown would like, and the addition of Smith could help fix this problem. 

He could come off the bench and be aggressive on offense with the second unit, like he is used to being.

Not only that, but he has hit down big shots before and will still be one of the most athletic players in the NBA. He can defend, he can score, and he brings energy to an otherwise lackadaisical Lakers team.

Stephen Jackson

Just a day ago Stephen Jackson voiced some more concerns and complained about the situations he was being put in on offense.

Jackson has been a very inconsistent player for the Bucks this year as he tries to figure out his role, but he continues to fail.

Standing at 6'8" he can play both the shooting guard and small forward and is an underrated defender.

He can stretch the floor, too, and I think the Lakers could easily pry him away from the Bucks. Kupchak should definitely give Jackson a look and see what it would take to bring him on board.