NBA Trade Rumors: Michael Beasley Would Be Smart Pickup for Lakers

With ESPN's Chris Broussard reporting that the Los Angeles Lakers are interesting in pursuing Michael Beasley, LA fans ought to rejoice and keep their fingers crossed.

The former second-overall pick for the Miami Heat would be on his third team since the 2008 NBA Draft, but as a 23-year old that should not be important. As a player, it takes significant experimentation to find the right identity. After the LeBron James and Chris Bosh signings in Miami, the Heat was not the right team for the young player. Now that Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio are striking gold in Minnesota, it may be time for the Kansas State alumnus to look for a new situation to try his hand at success.

The Lakers, who are looking to reform their roster, would be a perfect fit for the confused player.

Beasley, who has become a more expendable roster player for the T-Wolves with the emergence of first-round pick Derrick Williams, would provide the Lakers with a much needed offensive weapon that the team has needed since the departure of swingman Lamar Odom.

After Kobe Bryant, the Lakers don’t have another viable shooter that can drive or supply a capable mid-range game, and that puts an unneeded amount of pressure on the aging superstar. Whenever Bryant has the ball, he is expected to shoot or pass to the hoop and find Gasol and Bynum.

Adding a player like Beasley would open the floor to a more open shooting game, and give a new energy to a Lakers team struggling to stay elite. At fifth place in the Western Conference (and a few games behind their crosstown rivals, the Clippers), the Lakers will look to make a move before the March 15^th deadline. ESPN’s Chris Broussard reports that Kupchak has been in talks with Minnesota GM David Kahn for Beasley.

The Lakers reportedly like Beasley, and his $8.9 million contract would fall accordingly with the trade exception that the team acquired from the Mavs in the Odom deal.

With Bryant’s help, Beasley can mature around a winning culture (and a much warmer climate than the freezing Russian winters of Minnesota), and perhaps grow into the potential that we’ve always hoped to see from him.

In addition to Beasley, the Lakers appear to be looking for point guard help in Cleveland’s Raymond Sessions, Portland’s Raymond Felton, Houston’s Goran Dragic or Johnny Flynn, Toronto’s Jose Calderon and free-agent Gilbert Arenas.

If the Lakers could land one of those point guards in addition to Beasley, the starting roster would feature the required oomph and energy needed for another title run while Kobe is still able to compete at a hyper-competitive level.

If the Lakers need to give up a first-round pick to pick up Beasley, then I think it’s a smart decision much needed at this point in time.

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