LA Lakers: Veterans Who Would Give Lake Show a Lift

The Los Angeles Lakers have obvious needs in a lot of areas on the roster, and the team will be active in seeking upgrades to the current group.

There are a number of guys who could hold some level of appeal to the team, and we're certain to see a flurry of increased activity between now and the trade deadline.

With less than a month until March 15, the Lakers will look into almost everything available to see which pieces could fit the puzzle.

Gilbert Arenas

There is a mixed reaction when Arenas' name is brought into conversation for the Lakers.

After GM Mitch Kupchak watched Arenas work out, the point guard left without a contract, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Lakers wouldn't be interested in bringing him aboard.

The team does have an open roster spot available, but Kupchak will explore all of his avenues before making a decision on how he will address the obvious void at point guard.

Although Los Angeles desperately needs another scoring option, there are likely some concerns about how he'd fit into the locker room.

Kobe Bryant gave a halfhearted blessing to bringing Arenas aboard, but the Lakers might opt to explore some more viable upgrades before going the Arenas route.

J.R. Smith

Although there is a belief that Smith is down to the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks as potential destinations, his instant offense could really help the Lakers.

It's no secret that the team has been unable to find any sort of help on the offensive end in the second unit, and Smith's ability to catch fire at any moment could be exactly the spark that the team needs to get going.

He didn't exactly end his tenure in Denver on the best of terms with the team, but a change of scenery could really do him well after spending considerable time playing in China this season.

Smith lit up the nets in the CBA and showed that he's still got some unbelievable range, and there is no doubt that his addition could really help the Lakers in a myriad of ways.

Given the problems that the team has had at small forward, Smith would be an unorthodox solution for the short term.

Andre Miller

Miller is through with his contract at the end of the season, and there have been numerous indications that he would welcome the chance to be a full-time starter at this stage of his career.

The Lakers very obviously need a point guard, and his ability to space the floor and work well with big men on the alley-oop pass could make him flourish in Los Angeles' system.

He's undoubtedly a short-term fix to a long-term problem, but Miller would allow the Lakers to make a more realistic postseason push and the club wouldn't be committed to him beyond the end of this year.

Stephen Jackson

The Bucks brought in Jackson during the offseason to help bolster the backcourt attack, but he and Scott Skiles haven't seen eye-to-eye since his arrival.

Jackson has played an inconsistent minutes in a bench role, and although he hasn't publicly asked for a trade, Milwaukee would likely be willing to move him before the deadline in the right deal.

Even if S-Jax isn't the player he once was, he's versatile enough to play both shooting guard and small forward, and his offensive skills haven't just evaporated into thin air.

The Lakers could explore a deal based around Jackson and seldom-used Beno Udrih in an attempt to correct needs at multiple positions.

Dwight Howard

The big fish. The ultimate prize. Call Howard whatever you want, but it doesn't take much to realize the Lakers remain strongly interested in the big man.

Jim Buss has been extremely reluctant to part with Andrew Bynum in any trade, and it's incredibly unrealistic to think that the team would be willing to entertain a proposal of both Bynum and Pau Gasol for Howard.

Despite all of the skepticism in reports that Howard may be souring on Los Angeles, a possible three-headed trio of Kobe Bryant, Gasol and Howard makes the Lakers an awfully intimidating group.

New Jersey still sounds like it's the top spot on Howard's list for where he wants to go, but make no mistake—the Lakers are watching this situation carefully.