Lakers Rumors: Acquiring Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola Would Make LA a Contender

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently fourth in the Western Conference and only one game out in their division, but it is clear that they need a bit of a shakeup.

A possible scenario that would result in the Lakers getting Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola from the Houston Rockets is just what L.A. needs.

According to Sam Smith of bulls.com, there has been talk of the Rockets sending Lowry and Scola to the Lakers in exchange for forward Pau Gasol. The Rockets covet Gasol as evidenced by the fact that they nearly landed him this offseason, so the deal would work for both sides.

The Lakers badly need a point guard in order to take some pressure off Kobe Bryant, but most proposed deals involve Los Angeles dealing Gasol or Andrew Bynum for a point guard straight up. While such a trade would solve one problem, it would also open another hole in terms of interior scoring.

In this rumored deal with the Rockets, not only would the Lakers get a solid point guard in Lowry, but Scola would act as a very good replacement for Gasol as well.

Rather than weakening themselves in one area, the Lakers would get a little worse at power forward, but infinitely better at point guard.

Lowry and Scola may not quite be All-Star level players like Gasol, but they have been very productive this season. Lowry is averaging nearly 16 points and 7.5 assists per game, while Scola is pitching in 15 points and six rebounds per contest. With that said, Gasol is clearly the best player in the deal with averages of 17 points, 10.5 rebounds and more than one block per game.

Lowry is just 25 years old, while Scola is 32, as is Gasol.

Houston may be getting the best player in this proposed trade, but Los Angeles is getting the youngest player with the most potential in Lowry, and a player who isn't that far off of Gasol's production in Scola.

There have been so many rumors regarding a trade of Gasol that it has to be weighing on him to some degree. Because of that, the Lakers are almost in a position where they have to trade him. Obviously they shouldn't trade him for the sake of doing it, but this rumored deal with the Rockets makes a lot of sense.

Even with three excellent offensive players in Bryant, Gasol and Bynum, the Lakers have some very obvious deficiencies. The most glaring of which are the lack of a point guard and poor production from wing players. This trade would only address the point guard issue, but it would make the Lakers a much more well-rounded team.

The Lakers are certainly in the mix in the Western Conference currently, but it's very tough to see them beating the Oklahoma City Thunder as they are currently constructed. This trade with the Rockets would make them much deeper, though, and it would make them legitimate contenders in the conference.