Lakers Rumors: Shannon Brown Would Have Zero Impact on LA's Title Hopes

Thanks to Kobe Bryant's swift recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last spring, the Los Angeles Lakers enter the 2013-14 season with legitimate postseason aspirations. 

Unfortunately for the Lake Show, adding additional role players like Shannon Brown to the mix at the last minute won't improve their title chances. 

The latest gossip from the rumor mill links L.A. with Brown, who was recently traded from Phoenix to Washington and is now expected to be waived by the Wizards, according to NBA.com's David Aldridge per Hoopsworld's Steve Kyler via Twitter:

Next stop, L.A.?

Brown, who averages 8.1 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the field for his seven-year NBA career, averaged 8.7 points per game off the bench in his most recent season with the Lakers, but saw his minutes decrease in the postseason as he struggled to hit from beyond the arc.

While the 27-year-old can certainly still contribute for an NBA team, the Lakers already possess a handful of options at guard, including another returning member of their recent championship teams in Jordan Farmar. L.A. would have to make room for Brown, and though it sounds harsh, his production doesn't warrant it.

	MIN	Points	Rebounds	Assists	FG%	3PT%
2012-13 Season	23.8	10.5	2.5	1.8	.420	.277
NBA Career	18.7	8.1	2.0	1.2	.421	.332

Sure, Brown can play a role for the Lakers, add even more depth to the backcourt and score points in Mike D'Antoni's uptempo offense. However, he isn't a major step up in quality, and L.A. already has quantity at guard.

The Lakers have Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Farmar at point guard and Kobe Bryant, Xavier Henry, Jodie Meeks and Nick Young (who could see significant time at small forward in D'Antoni's small-ball lineup) at shooting guard.

Brown's 2012-13 player efficiency rating (PER) of 13.1 wouldn't be a significant upgrade over players like Blake and Meeks, who posted an average PER of 11.6 last season. Plus, those two guards have had an entire season to learn D'Antoni's offensive system.

Therefore, whether the Lakers add Brown this fall is a moot point, as it wouldn't make them any more or less dangerous.

Instead, the key for the Lakers will be keeping their core of stars healthy over the course of another grueling 82-game season. If that happens, they can be a playoff team with hopes of competing for a ring. Otherwise, signing Brown and sending him out onto the court for 20 minutes per night will have zero positive impact on L.A.'s win-loss record. 

Signing Brown would provide Lakers fans with one more familiar face, but it's not a move worth making for a team loaded with middling role players.  

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.