Report: Brown wants Lakers to get Anderson Varejao

The Lakers need to inject the roster with energy, particularly on defense. Anderson Varejao brings energy and effort. New Lakers coach Mike Brown used to coach Anderson Varejao.

So, not a huge leap of logic to a report from Sam Amico of Fox Sports. Huge leap of logic to see it happen, but not the rumor.

    Brown coached Varejao during all five of Brown’s seasons in Cleveland, and not surprisingly, grew to love Varejao’s defense, energy and attitude. Now that Brown has been hired as Phil Jackson’s replacement with the Lakers, sources say he is trying to convince the Lakers front office to see what it would take to bring Varejao to L.A.

    Now, none of this is to say the Lakers will follow through. There is no hard evidence that they have contacted the Cavs about the man known as “Wild Thing,” or that they ever will. But as one Lakers insider said, it almost makes too much sense not to explore.

The problem is this — what do the Lakers have that a rebuilding Cavaliers want? They want to get younger and rebuild, and that doesn’t Ron Artest, Luke Walton, Steve Blake or really much of anyone on the Lakers roster. Lamar Odom makes a little more sense but is that really getting younger for the Cavs? Would the Lakers miss the skill given up? Are the Lakers going to trade Odom for a guy who just missed most of a season due to injury?

If the Lakers are going to move Odom (and of the core guys he may be the most likely to be moved) it needs to be for a point guard and/or an athletic wing player to be a backup. The Lakers have needs to address, forward is not one of them. Varejao is a good player (I bet he is traded to a contender), but for Odom it doesn’t solve any Lakers problems.