Steve Nash to Lakers: What Should LA's Next Move Be?

I'm still speechless.

Speechless that Steve Nash is a Los Angeles Laker.

Speechless that Mitch Kupchak and the Buss family did it again. 

Speechless that less than two months after it seemed that the Lakers would never be able to catch the Thunder in the West, they've made a major move to accomplish just that.

Now that it's been nearly 24 hours since the trade was reported, and David "Basketball Reasons" Stern hasn't vetoed it away yet, it's safe to assume Nash will indeed be sporting purple and gold next season.

The question then becomes: Where do the Lakers go from here?

Adding Nash was a stroke of sheer genius, but it doesn't guarantee LA a spot in the Finals. There's still those young bucks in Oklahoma City and old dogs in San Antonio to contend with, not to mention the little brother Clippers growing up quickly down the hall.

There are two ways the Lakers can go about improving the team to put them over the top. The first option is to explore further trades.

Obviously, the big one is still out there. I'm speaking, of course, about an Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard swap that has felt like destiny since the end of the 2011 season.

If anything, adding Nash only strengthens the case for pulling the trigger on that deal. Nash is at his most effective with the ball in his hands, picking out the perfect pass and setting his teammates up with excellent looks at the basket.

Working alongside Bynum and Kobe Bryant - two guys who prefer to work in isolation situations—it could reasonably be speculated that Nash would see his time on the ball decline. Exchanging Bynum for Howard gives puts the ball in Nash's capable hands more, always a good thing. He can make Howard look good on offense, minimizing the loss of Bynum on that end of the floor.

Another thing for the front office to look into is trading Pau Gasol for a combination of youth, cap relief and depth. Bringing in Nash just added a significant chunk to the Lakers' payroll. That will be a problem for LA, as the league's new harsher luxury tax rules take effect starting in the 2013-14 season.

At this point, Gasol's contract doesn't look as good as it did when the Lakers inked him to that extension. It's not entirely his fault, as Bynum's growing role in the offense has crowded Gasol out of the paint and forced him into an uncomfortable spot-up jump shooting role.

Gasol is getting paid $19 million a year to be a Chris Bosh knockoff. Bosh was paid $3 million less last season for the original act.

Turning Gasol into two or three role players can not only provide the Lakers with future cap relief, but also fill holes in the roster and add young legs to a thin, aging squad.

Should the Lakers remain committed to a Bynum/Gasol frontcourt, LA's other option is to attempt to improve the team through free agency. 

Acquiring Nash via trade means the Lakers retain their access to the taxpayer's mid-level exception, which starts at a base salary of $3.09 million. For that kind of money the Lakers can probably find one player to stretch the floor and defend the wing, a role that would best complement the Nash move.

Several defensive-minded three-point shooting wings are currently on the market. The Lakers can pursue the likes of Courtney Lee, Brandon Rush and Mickael Pietrus and try to convince one of them to take the taxpayers' MLE in order to play for a championship.

LA should also try and keep a couple of its own free agents, particularly Jordan Hill, Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks. That would give the Lakers the depth they need to compete for a title.

The Steve Nash trade was a ray of sunlight for the Lakers. Championship number 17 is now in their crosshairs. One or two more savvy moves and they can parade down Figueroa Street once more.