Lakers Rumors: Rafer Alston Wouldn't Be Worth Los Angeles' Time

While the Los Angeles Lakers need a new point guard, their quest has been filled with bottom-of-the-barrel, past-their-prime, flat options. We now have a new low.  

Stephen A. Smith, via ESPNLosAngeles.com, has given a name that on his best day would be less than inspiring. "The Lakers are also said to be interested in former Toronto Raptors point guard Rafer Alston, who helped the Orlando Magic reach the NBA Finals in 2009. But who knows if that will materialize into anything?" he wrote.

What does it say about a franchise if this is the move it's interested in making? Smith also mentioned the Lakers had interest in Allen Iverson while Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported the Lakers have worked Gilbert Arenas out. 

Those are certainly uninspiring names—in case anyone forgot, this is 2012—but they at least both have glorious pasts. What exactly do you get with Rafer Alston?

Alston is 35 (Arenas 30, Iverson 36), but he hasn't played in the NBA since 2010. When you're a point guard in your mid-30s, a two-year layoff might as well be 20 years. With an overwhelming veteran presence, the Lakers need to win now, but Alston is not the guy to make that happen. 

If he were still playing in the NBA at a high level, this would be a different story. That, however, is not the case. Expecting a 35-year-old that was never that good to begin with to come in and be a big-impact player on a team that's supposedly contending for a title is not exactly a recipe for success. 

If they were going to gamble on an unproven player from the outside, the Lakers might as well bring in a young player to see if they can strike lightning like the Knicks did with Jeremy Lin, and Alston will not be anywhere near that kind of player. 

If Alston is the best the Lakers can do, they might as well just hold the course with the likes of Derek Fisher and Steve Blake. At least they are familiar with the current system and players. The only thing Alston would bring the Lakers would be the "most underwhelming move of the season" award. There is nothing about this move that would help the team in any way. 

So, in answering Smith's question, "Who knows if that will materialize into anything?": Nobody does, and if you're a Lakers fan, hope that it never does. 

Follow @mdixon1985