Los Angeles Lakers' 2015 Trade-Deadline Shopping List

In the NBA's current climate, free agents cherry-pick destinations where they believe their presence makes their new teams instant title contenders.

As presently constructed, the Los Angeles Lakers are just not an appealing option, regardless of the market, lifestyle, weather, etc. In order to improve the roster to the point of drawing interest from max-level stars, the organization needs to take some big swings and hope they connect.

That means targeting players in trades with high upside but low enough value that the Lakers can acquire them without juicy assets they don't possess—in other words, players who come with major risks attached.

Sometimes teams give up on talented players too early, whether it's because the guy has not yet fully matured or the fit is just not there.

We've seen players like Kyle Lowry, Monta Ellis and Rudy Gay thrive in their new surroundings after being written off in their previous situations.

Other times a guy just has to stay healthy. Remember when Stephen Curry's ankles were made of papier-mache? Or when Kevin Love's body wasn't in shape to make it through a full season?

Buying low on a player can pay big dividends for a team. It may also come out to nothing, but if the Lakers want to get back to competing for titles, they need to start making their own luck.

Here are five players L.A. can take a chance on by trading for them at the deadline.

1. Lance Stephenson

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The Charlotte Hornets must be experiencing buyer's remorse after signing Lance Stephenson this past offseason.

The Hornets were 6-19 and on a four-game losing streak when Stephenson went down with an injury. Charlotte responded by winning four in a row and going a tidy 9-5 with its new addition out of the lineup.

His return this week promptly ended the five-game winning streak Charlotte was enjoying.

Stephenson has been a disaster this season, with a ghastly 42.3 true shooting percentage (aka Josh Smith territory) and a player efficiency rating of just 10.1, per Basketball-Reference.com.

Still, this is a player who improved by leaps and bounds every season in Indiana, has proved to be a valuable two-way wing who can perform in the playoffs and is still only 24 years of age.

It's rare indeed to get a crack at an under-25 guy with this much raw ability, but the Hornets may be willing to part with him if they fear his presence messes with their chemistry enough to put what was thought to be an assured postseason place in jeopardy.

2. Brook Lopez

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After not missing a single game in his first three seasons as a pro, Brook Lopez just can't seem to stay on the court anymore.

When he does play, he's one of the best offensive centers in the game. Lopez is a go-to guy down on the block whose range extends to nearly the three-point arc.

He's always gotten to the line at a good clip and is as reliable a foul shooter as you will see among big men.

Lopez is a legitimate rim protector as well. Opponents are shooting 47.5 percent at the rim with Lopez in the vicinity, per NBA.com, an above-average mark for a big.

Though his numbers are down a bit this season, that has mostly to do with less playing time as a result of coming off the bench a bunch this year.

His per-36-minute averages of 20 points, nine rebounds and two blocks are right in line with his career norms, as is his 50.7 percent accuracy on two-pointers.

The Nets are a sinking ship desperate to get rid of some of the burdensome salaries on their books. Lopez will certainly pick up the nearly $17 million player option he has for 2016, meaning another year deep in luxury-tax purgatory for the Nets.

Los Angeles can give Brooklyn some semblance of cap relief by sending the expiring deals of Steve Nash and/or Jeremy Lin back in any Lopez trade.

Still just 26 years old, Lopez can be a rock in the middle for L.A. if he can just stay healthy like he did to begin his career.

3. Larry Sanders

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It was just two seasons ago that you couldn't write Larry Sanders' name without hitting the caps lock key first (thanks, Zach Lowe), but Sanders doesn't evoke that kind of excitement in anyone anymore, least of all the Milwaukee Bucks.

After a series of bizarre incidents over the past 18 months, Sanders may not even want to play basketball anymore and has been out of the Bucks lineup recently with "personal issues."

Sanders is still extremely effective when he does play. He remains an elite rim protector—only five players hold opponents to a lower field-goal percentage at the rim, per NBA.com—and is averaging a double-double per 36 minutes.

His defensive rating is back down under 100 after a worrying uptick last season, but he's fouling at an incredible rate—nearly four personals a game in fewer than 22 minutes.

The talent is still there. The questions are where his head and heart are at. This is only the first season of a four-year, $44 million deal for Sanders, and the Bucks have to be miffed about lavishing that kind of cash on someone who's been a healthy scratch every night, especially with the team playing so well.

You can't buy lower on someone than Sanders right now. His issues are a real factor, as is his contract, but with the salary cap spiking the way it is, $11 million a year is easier to swallow if he's a dud.

And if he comes out of his stupor and picks up where he left off in 2013, it's larceny for the Lakers. It's the kind of major risk they need to take.

4. Thaddeus Young

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It feels as if Thaddeus Young has been around forever, but the veteran forward doesn't turn 27 until June.

Young is experiencing the worst season of his career in Minnesota, and it's quite likely that he will exercise his early termination option and forgo the final year of his contract to hit the open market this summer.

The T'Wolves are in complete rebuilding mode, and Young doesn't seem to fit into their long-term plans. Surely, Flip Saunders would be amenable to getting something back for him as opposed to letting him walk in free agency.

Young isn't a glamorous name, but he's been an extremely effective player throughout his career. He can play either forward spot, score in creative ways and hold his own defensively.

The cost to obtain him would be minimal, and although his ceiling isn't in the clouds, the Lakers can use every above-average player they can get.

They will have a couple of months to evaluate how he performs in their system, and if the price isn't right to retain him in the offseason, they can part ways with Young without losing a whole lot.

5. Eric Gordon

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Gordon represents the biggest risk of anyone on the list. His decline has been long and pronounced, culminating in this season's complete disappearance.

In his final year with the Clippers, Gordon looked like a perennial All-Star, but each season in New Orleans has seen a drop-off in his production.

Injuries have a part to play, as does unhappiness—he practically begged the Pelicans not to match his offer sheet in 2012—but his play this year in particular has been troubling.

Before sitting out six weeks with an injury, Gordon was perhaps the worst player in the league receiving heavy playing time. He was practically anonymous on the court, not creating anything off the bounce nor getting to the line at all.

He has shown some flashes since returning to the lineup, though, including an encouraging 21-point outing earlier in the week. It's possible to construct an argument that his skills aren't being maximized in New Orleans, and I want to believe that. It's just so hard to fathom that a player who has proved to be capable of great things and only just turned 26 could lose it just like that, without any sort of debilitating injury.

Gordon excels with the ball in his hands but isn't getting the opportunity to play that way with his current club. With so many guys in the Pelicans' lineup who need to get theirs, it appears that Gordon is the one who has had to sacrifice touches and shots.

Trading for Gordon is risky, but his contract is up after next season, so it's not a long-term commitment.

If he can rediscover his mojo in the city where he broke out, the Lakers have a stud in the backcourt for years to come.