Do LA Lakers Have Another Blockbuster Move in Store During 2013 Offseason?

One year after making a series of blockbuster moves, the Los Angeles Lakers are a franchise at a crossroads. 

The Lakers struck fear into the hearts of rivals when they acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash within the span of a month, but the tables have turned. 

Those splashy transactions were thought to have major implications. Namely, they would allow Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to remain competitive in the short-term while simultaneously adding a key building block for the future. 

Instead, the Lakers' bounty of superstars struggled to coexist, and thanks to some untimely injuries, their championship road map was subsequently crumpled up and tossed in the trash. 

The Lakers' aggressive pursuit of instant gratification has left them in a tough spot. They have essentially no cap room (just over $78 million committed thus far in 2013-14 salaries), but they must pursue re-signing Howard at all costs. 

However, even if Howard does choose to decline enticing offers, as CBS Sports' Ken Berger says he might, from a group likely consisting of Houston, Dallas and Atlanta to return to L.A., the Lakers will be right back to where they were last season. 

The guts of the roster that failed the Lakers last season would be the same, and making a blockbuster move this summer just doesn't seem possible given the financial constraints. 

We saw what happened when the Lakers tried to overhaul their roster last season, so perhaps it would be best for Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss to make some low-risk moves that improve the team's depth. 

One way to jump-start the process would be to shed salary in any way possible. 

While the Lakers don't have many large salaries they can dump, they do have the ability to make a series of small moves that would allow them to pay off some of the tax they owe. However, any change they do pocket won't allow them to pursue big-name free agents in any capacity. 

Of primary concern here is the contract of Metta World Peace. World Peace is due $7.7 million over the final year of his deal, but given the numbers he posted last season at age 33, it's time the Lakers cut ties with the enigmatic small forward. 

World Peace averaged a steady 12.4 points per game last season, but he did so on a lousy 40.3 percent shooting from the field (34.2 percent from three) as the condition of his knees deteriorated. 

In addition, the Lakers can decline Jodie Meeks' player option worth $1.5 million next season, which would help ease some of the franchise's financial burden. 

While that's hardly enough money to pursue a big-name free agent, it shouldn't matter. The Lakers can't afford to get cute. Instead, the Lakers should use what they have at their disposal—the mini mid-level exception (valued at roughly $3 million per year) and veteran minimum contracts—to their advantage. 

What the Lakers need is a solid group of role players who can stretch the floor and provide energy on the defensive end. If you look at the teams competing for an NBA title, what do they have in common? They play team-centric ball, using qualified role players to take the heat off of superstars when necessary. 

Whom should the Lakers target, you ask? In need of quality perimeter threats, there are a couple names who could help the Lakers at a nominal cost. 

The first and perhaps most intriguing name of the bunch is Denver Nuggets forward Corey Brewer. While it's true that Brewer isn't the sort of floor-stretcher the Lakers are seeking, he's a quality defender with good instincts in the open floor. 

Based on advanced metrics, Brewer is coming off of the best defensive season of his career. The Nuggets forward posted a career-best defensive rating of 105 while recording the most defensive win shares of his career to date (2.2), per Basketball-Reference. 

Another under-the-radar unrestricted free agent who's a viable option for the Lakers is Dorell Wright. Wright's hardly flashy, but he's a consistent shooter (43.1 percent from the field for his career) who specializes at knocking down threes (36.7 percent from distance for his career). 

Wright would be an ideal fit if the Lakers are looking to tailor their offense around Howard. A savvy veteran who excels at shooting off the catch, Wright led the NBA in three-pointers made three seasons ago. 

Obviously, the Lakers would need to convince a player like Brewer to settle for the mini mid-level exception, but these are examples of realistic improvements that fall within the Lakers' narrow financial boundaries. 

One other reason it would be unreasonable to expect the Lakers to make a blockbuster move this summer is that they possess very few tradable assets. 

Arguably the only real asset of value the Lakers have at this point is the expiring contract of Pau Gasol, which is worth just under $19.3 million for 2013-14.  

Trading Gasol is certainly an option, but for the Lakers to create any real cap space this summer, they would need to deal him for pennies on the dollar. 

With the Lakers' short-term prospects looking bleak, it's time to look ahead. As of now, the Lakers only have one player under contract for the 2014-15 season (Nash), which means they'll have ample space to make a run at players of the highest caliber. 

Instead of forcing the issue, the Lakers should be patient for one season. The future remains bright, but it won't be if the Lakers mortgage it on some risky moves this summer. 

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Note: All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference and all salary numbers courtesy of HoopsHype unless noted otherwise.