Lakers Rumors: Why Gilbert Arenas and Making the NBA Playoffs Don't Mix

Gilbert Arenas has completed his fall from NBA superstar to disgraced journeyman after being cut loose via the amnesty clause by the Orlando Magic this offseason.

Agent Zero, as he used to be known for his number choice, has told people close to him that he wishes to catch on with the Lakers, Heat, Knicks or any team that trades for his good buddy Dwight Howard.

The Lakers, and all of those contenders to be honest, would be foolish to make a play for the free agent. But Los Angeles is an especially a bad place for Arenas, who turns 30 this season, to try and revive his career.

The oft-injured and much-maligned point guard needs to go to a small market that needs a scorer and needs someone who can potentially put up 25 or more points a game while staying out of the spotlight.

The Lakers have Kobe Bryant to dominate the ball, and the offense runs through him. It's not a fit for a point guard whose glaring weakness is passing. 

Gilbert simply isn't a facilitator. His best season as a distributor came as a sophomore in Golden State, when he averaged 6.3 dimes in 35 minutes of play over 80 games. When he’s looking to score, by far his best talent, that number drops. He averaged just 6.1 assists while playing over 42 minutes during the 2005-2006 season in Washington. He put up 29.3 points per game that year.

The Lakers would not be able to get much out of him at this stage in his career, and it certainly wouldn’t mean they would make the playoffs if he played any significant role on the team. In fact, Gil has only made the postseason three times as a starter, and he's only reached the second round once. He was a minor contributor off the bench for Orlando last year in their five-game, first-round loss to the Hawks.

If the Lakers want to get serious about making another Finals push, they need to address depth and add another big man to replace Lamar Odom off the bench. Gilbert Arenas is not the answer for Los Angeles, and signing him will not lead to playoff success.