Lakers Rumors: Antawn Jamison Is a Must-Have Bench Upgrade for L.A.

The teams with the best benches are the teams that can do the most damage come postseason time.

The Lakers have already taken care of their starting lineup by acquiring Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade. Now, it's time for them to shore up the second unit, and signing Antawn Jamison could be the perfect means of doing so.

According to the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan, L.A. is attempting to lure in the free-agent forward, who seems to be committed to the idea of ditching Cleveland in the hopes of winning a title.

There's no place like the new favorites in the Western Conference to do so.

L.A. may have won two of the last four NBA championships, but it's been painfully obvious over the last two seasons that it can no longer compete with the best of the best in the Western Conference, whether that's the Mavericks one year or the Thunder the next.

The Lakers roster hasn't undergone many drastic changes over the last few years—it still has the centerpieces in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, the most notable absences being Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher.

But ever since Fisher and Odom have been gone, the Lakers have been missing something. Nash was the first step to regaining what they lost: a superstar veteran point guard who can score. Jamison is the sensible next step, especially if he isn't going to cost a lot.

It's no secret that the Lakers had one of the most lackluster benches in the NBA last season. Bresnahan writes:

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As of now, their reserves under contract are Steve Blake, Josh McRoberts, Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock and Christian Eyenga. They averaged only 18.8 points combined last season, not including Eyenga's eight-point effort in his only Lakers game.

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Jamison's impact could be felt immediately and widely on this roster. He may be 36, but considering the contracts recently awarded to guys like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, that doesn't seem all that old.

And most importantly, Jamison's production hasn't dropped off substantially even as he's gotten older.

In his first full year with the Cavs, he averaged 18 points per game; last season, he averaged 17.2. Both are below his career average of 19.5 points per game, but he can still be productive in limited minutes.

He's still an incredibly efficient shooter, and he can give the Lakers a veteran presence off the bench, the impact of which cannot be underestimated.

If the Lakers can get a player like Jamison this cheap, they can't pass up the opportunity. They have something he wants—the chance to play for a team that can make a legitimate title run—and he gives them one of the best remaining bench players still on the market.

If Jamison wants a shot at winning on a team that will allow him to play a crucial role, L.A. is the place for him.