Lakers Trade Rumors: Moves LA Must Make in Order to Be Championship Contender

As they sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are in the hunt—but to call them a flawed team would be an understatement. With the NBA's trade deadline approaching next week, L.A. clearly needs to make some moves in order to be a true player out west.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are playing superb basketball right now, and the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks will all be tough outs as well. Considering the fact that the Lakers have some glaring holes, their chances of going a long way aren't particularly good.

Every Lakers fan knows that L.A. desperately needs a point guard and a wing scorer, both for the purposes of taking some pressure off Kobe Bryant. Luckily, there appear to be some moves that are on the table, and if they are made, then the Lakers will be contenders once again.

Here are two potential deadline moves that will make the Lake Show a true threat to go the distance.

First-Round Pick to Timberwolves for Michael Beasley

Despite the fact that he averaged over 19 points per game last season and is just 23 years of age, the Minnesota Timberwolves seem intent on dealing forward Michael Beasley. There is no question that Beasley is a talented player, as evidenced by his breakout 2010-11 campaign, but there have long been issues with his attitude and work ethic.

The Lakers are a natural fit for Beasley since the likes of Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes can't hit open shots on the wing this season. The Lakers could already have Beasley, but they turned down an offer of Beasley for a first-round pick from the T-Wolves, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.

While the offer is certainly fair, especially if L.A.'s first is late in the round, the Lakers declined the deal in order to avoid having to pay an additional $6.2 million in luxury tax. That is understandable since the Lakers are already hit hard in that area to begin with, but at some point winning has to supersede making money.

The Lakers are an incredibly profitable franchise, and if Beasley can help them win a title, then luxury tax shouldn't be a consideration. Beasley is precisely the type of complementary scorer Kobe Bryant needs. Somebody is always going to be open with Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum on the floor, and Beasley can sink the mid-range jumper. A first rounder is a small price to pay for a guy who was the No. 2 selection just a few years ago.

Steve Blake to Trail Blazers for Raymond Felton

As obvious as it is that the Lakers need Beasley, there are a few more options in the hunt for a point guard. Signing veteran Gilbert Arenas has long been a consideration, while there have been rumors linking the Lakers to Ramon Sessions, Kirk Hinrich and Raymond Felton. All of them would help to some degree, but Felton seems like the best fit by far.

According to Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest, there has been talk between the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers regarding a swap of Felton for former Blazers guard Steve Blake. Although it isn't known whether additional players or draft picks would be involved, the meat of the deal is apparently Felton for Blake, which would be a big win for the Lakers.

Felton is in the midst of his worst season, as he has had difficulty adjusting to head coach Nate McMillan's slow offense. He is currently averaging just above 10 points and six assists per game, which is out of character when compared to his career numbers. Felton has been at odds with McMillan, and it's clear that Portland isn't a great fit for him.

While playing in a more explosive offense with the New York Knicks last season, Felton had a career year as he put up 17 points and nine assists per contest. He likely wouldn't score that much with the Lakers, but with so many great scorers potentially around him, Felton should be able to recapture some of his magic and become a top playmaker again.