NBA Rumors: Ex-Lakers Forward Could Be Part Of Grand Plan If Matthews Is Traded

The Los Angeles Lakers have decisions to make as they try to get LeBron James some help.

Anthony Davis will be sitting out the next couple of weeks to allow his injury to heal, and the NBA buzz going around is that they will be targeting a big man.

But as mentioned in a previous post, Wesley Matthews is a player that could be given up to take in new talent.

The veteran has not been utilized that much, something that pundits feel could end up in a separation soon.

Matthews was tasked to pick up from where Danny Green left off. The latter is now with the Philadelphia 76ers, and his outside shooting and defense have been sorely missed.

The 6-foot-4 player was seen as a good fit, but the problem is that he is not been getting the proper exposure. Hence, the consensus is that the 34-year-old is unhappy with his time in Los Angeles.

If the Lakers management trades him by the NBA trade deadline on Mar. 25, the "Purple and Gold" could skim the free-agent market for a replacement.

One name that could make sense is Trevor Ariza, someone who has been repeatedly linked to a return to Hollywood on several occasions in the past.

Ariza was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that copped the 2009 NBA title. He is currently with the Oklahoma City Thunder but is awaiting to be traded or bought out.

Worth considering here is that Thunder general manager Sam Presti does not do contract buyouts as pointed out by Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast.

Hence, the Lakers may have to be patient on this one. They need to wait for Ariza to be traded and hope that he gets bought out.

However, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Frank Vogel will have to be on their toes with this one. Ariza is expected to garner interest from other contending teams once and if this trade and buyout scenario happens.

It all starts with what the Lakers plan to do with Matthews. They could trade him for future picks or a player that makes sense.

Los Angeles has one roster spot opening but can only sign a player at a minimum.

Among the teams mentioned as possible landing spots for Matthews include the 76ers, Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings.

The targets here are Dwight Howard, Mo Bamba and Hassan Whiteside. If that goes down, it could pave the way for an Ariza addition if the Lakers play their cards wisely.