Lakers Rumors: Why Michael Beasley Won't Be Heading to Hollywood

Michael Beasley's name has come up in a number of trade rumors, and many of them involve the Los Angeles Lakers. If you're putting a lot of stock into the Lakers landing the Timberwolves' wing, invest elsewhere: Beasley will not be coming to Hollywood anytime soon. 

The most recent of these comes from ESPN's, Chris Broussard:

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"The Minnesota Timberwolves offered to trade Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers for a first-round draft pick, but the Lakers turned them down, according to a league source. While Beasley, a talented and athletic small forward, would fill one of the Lakers' greatest needs, the Lakers rejected the offer because they do not want to add to their luxury tax bill, according to the source."

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Let me start by saying I'm not sure I buy this particular rumor to be true; but there has been enough talk involving Beasley going to the Lakers to give it at least some credit that the team is  interested in him. I'm just not buying that the Timberwolves are giving up Beasley for a bottom-of-the-draft first-round pick and nothing more.

I'm not buying they are ready to give him up to the Boston Celtics for Jermaine O'Neal, a well-past-his-prime center who is considering season-ending surgery. 

Simply put, Beasley is worth more to a team that is pushing for a playoff run than a salary dump. They aren't simply going to just give up a proven scorer for nothing. The T-Wolves are going to want a player in return that can solve their problem at shooting guard. 

The fact is that the Lakers don't have that player on their roster. Matt Barnes isn't going to fit the bill. 

The question isn't so much whether Beasley fits with the Lakers or whether they can use him. It's whether one of the other teams who are in the hunt for his services can offer the 'Wolves more than a late-round draft pick for him. 

The other reason that Beasley isn't going to be a Laker anytime soon is that he doesn't fill the team's primary need. Yes, he would help by adding a second player who can create shots on his own. However, the biggest need is not to add another player who can do that. The biggest need is a starting-caliber point guard. 

The Lakers' primary attention is, and should be, focused on that. The Lakers are dead last in the NBA in production from their point guards. That's a pretty good indication they are in need of an upgrade. 

Combined that means the Lakers aren't going to be vesting their time, energy and trade resources into a move that isn't even likely to happen in order to secure a secondary need while glossing over the primary one. Even Jim Buss isn't that bad.

Well, at least Lakers fans should hope that even Buss isn't that bad.