Lakers' Trade for Cam Johnson Wouldn't Be Worth Cost Amid Latest NBA Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers have already accomplished one off-season goal by signing Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million deal, but the team is not content to run it back with the same players with whom they fell short of an NBA title this past season.

Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reported that the Lakers are one of the teams interested in forward Cam Johnson as the Denver Nuggets consider revamping their core.

Johnson is a sharpshooting forward who would go a long way in replacing LeBron James, should this generation's greatest decide not to return to Los Angeles. He would be a lethal scoring option alongside two others in Reaves and franchise centerpiece, Luka Doncic.

Even the scoring and the uncertainty surrounding James is not enough to justify the cost of acquiring Johnson.

For as talented an offensive threat as he is, the 30-year-old has his defensive deficiencies. He is undersized, and struggles against bigger forwards. He also struggles to contain explosive opponents in isolation, sometimes beaten in one-on-one coverage. He is also lacking in rim protection.

The Lakers do not have issues scoring. Doncic led the league in regular-season scoring, James ranked 26th, and Reaves was a potent scorer throughout the year. The team needs to get better defensively so that it does not have to rely on a shootout every night in order to secure a win.

Using trade assets to get better on that side of the ball should be a priority, not adding another scorer, regardless of whether James re-signs with the team.

Otherwise, the Lakers will spend another season scoring plenty, not preventing nearly enough, and going home earlier than they would like.