NBA Trade Speculation: 4 Ideal Trade Targets to Swap for Lamar Odom

Entering the NBA lockout, there were two names on the Lakers' roster that were being thrown around in numerous trade rumors. Those two names were reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom and 23-year-old Andrew Bynum.

It's a well known fact that the Lakers are trying to "reload." I wrote an article about a week ago about the deals that the Lakers should try to get done in order to maximize their chances of winning at least one more championship before Kobe rides off into the sunset.

This article will cover the best deals that the Lakers can make involving Odom.

Because of team payroll situations, some, if not most, of these deals will involve Odom and some other Lakers player in order to make a certain trade work.

The Lakers will likely get rid of one of their key players. Whether that is Artest, Odom or Bynum remains to be seen. Whether it's a combination of two or all three of the players listed also remains to be determined.

Here are four ideal trade targets to swap for Lamar Odom.

Philadelphia 76ers

This trade rumor was being floated around in late June. This trade would involve the likes of swingman Andre Iguodala for Lamar Odom and likely Ron Artest.

The one certainty in a trade involving Lamar Odom and the 76ers is that another player on the Lakers' roster needs to be included in order to balance out the salary situation.

Iguodala has two guaranteed years left on his contract, with a player option for the final year of the contract due to expire in 2014. Iguodala makes about 13.5 million a year; Odom makes a little less than nine million a year. Artest is due to make about 6.7 million in the upcoming season, with an option to opt out after 2012.

The Lakers would lose the best Sixth Man in the League, who also happens to be their third best offensive option. They would also lose their lockdown perimeter defender.

But in return, they'd acquire a 27-year-old swingman who is a very good defender, would improve the team athletically by providing fresher and younger legs and could be used as the third or fourth offensive option by providing 13-14 points a game.

Assuming the Lakers keep Bynum and Gasol and are unable to acquire Dwight Howard, a lineup involving the likes of Bynum, Gasol, Iguodala and Kobe Bryant is nothing to sneeze at.

Utah Jazz

A lot of people may be wondering why I'm putting the Utah Jazz on this list. That's because the Lakers' biggest need is at point guard.

The Lakers' starting PG, Derek Fisher, ranked 60th in PER last season. The Lakers' top backup PG, Steve Blake, ranked at 61st in the same statistic. It's safe to say that the Lakers had the worst point guard situation of any team in the NBA last year.

The Utah Jazz are a team that in their best season with their current roster, would probably make it as an eighth seed in the tough Western Conference.

They would be open to pretty much every trade not involving the likes of Gordon Heyward, and maybe Al Jefferson.

That means that Devin Harris is a trade possibility.

Harris has two years left on his contract at about 9.3 million a year. Lamar Odom makes a little less than nine million a year. The Lakers could easily make a straight up swap for Harris by dealing Odom to the Jazz.

There are problems with this trade, though. If the Jazz do trade Harris for Odom, they would have a pretty good frontcourt with the likes of Jefferson, Okur, Favors, Millsap, Odom and the newly drafted Enes Kanter.

But they would have no point guard. The Jazz don't have a legit backup to Devin Harris as it is, so PG is already a definite need for this team.

If the Jazz do make the decision to sign a PG out of free agency, Harris is expendable.

If the Lakers acquire Harris, they would acquire a player who is only 28 years old, and is one of the fastest players in the entire league. Faster players means more fast break opportunities. Faster players mean less Chris Paul triple doubles in the playoffs.

Get the picture?

Orlando Magic

I mentioned this team in my article from last week as a possible trade partner for the Lakers. I think everybody is aware that if there's a major trade involving the Lakers, the Lakers want it to be this team.

There are a lot of factors that go into this situation that are different from the 76ers and the Jazz situation. The factors are the following:

1. Both the 76ers and Jazz are borderline playoff teams and are shopping guys around to better the future of their teams. Iguodala has been shopped on the trade market, and Devin Harris is expendable if the right deal comes along.

2. The Magic don't really want to give up Howard. They would only give up Howard if they knew he was leaving next season when he can become a free agent so they could get something in return for the best center in the NBA.

3. This trade would likely happen in the middle of the NBA season; not before it.

Howard makes about 17.9 million this season. He has a player option for 2012-13. Chances are, if he got traded to the Lakers, he would sign a new deal ensuring he would be in the purple and gold for at least five years.

This means that with Lamar Odom at a little less than nine million, the Lakers would have to give up Andrew Bynum.

The Magic are giving up the best center in the league and probably a top five player at the same time. They would want a center, who although is not nearly as good as Howard is, is the best Center that you can acquire at this moment in time.

Bynum is not even 24 yet, and although he has a bad injury history, is still a highly coveted building block for many franchises. That belief applies here with the Magic.

Bynum makes about 15 million a year, and there is a team option for Bynum following this upcoming season. That would mean the Magic would probably have to deal another player, probably Brandon Bass at about four million a year, to make this trade work.

This trade only happens if Howard vocally states his unhappiness with the Magic franchise and his desire to go to a contender.

Phoenix Suns

This, like the Magic situation, is a little bit complicated.

The Suns are willing to trade Steve Nash. Nash will be 38 this upcoming season, and he has one year left on his contract at about 11.6 million a year.

Nash would want to go to a contender, and the Lakers are one of the top contenders in the NBA.

What is the problem then?

The Suns are a rebuilding team. If they are giving up their franchise piece, chances are, they'd want young talent in return to aid in their rebuilding process.

The problem is the Lakers don't have those kinds of pieces to give to Phoenix. There is only one guy, Andrew Bynum, that could be considered in that category, and the Lakers will not give up Andrew Bynum for Steve Nash. It would make the team worse than they already are.

The way that this trade scenario works is if the Suns become desperate and they don't find any capable suitors to acquire Nash. The trade deadline in February nears, and the Suns know they need to send Nash to a contender.

The Lakers trade Lamar Odom, their 2014 first round draft pick, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter to balance out the salary situation and to give the Suns full flexibility when it comes to pursuing free agents in the 2012 class.

The Lakers would acquire a PG, who may be old, but would improve the PG situation for the time being tremendously.

The Suns only have 28 million on their payroll for 2012-13 on five players. Ebanks and Caracters' contracts are up after '12, and the Suns could choose to re-sign them if they show enough potential to remain on the roster. The Suns would have a team option for Odom at 8.2 million for 12-13 if they choose to keep him around as a veteran leader, and for stability purposes.