The Los Angeles Lakers may not wait until the free agency to get their hands on one of the league's best centers.
With the trade deadline looming, several teams are expected to get engaged in discussions of their potential targets this season. The Lakers, while may not need reinforcements this season, may still look for trade partners and get players essential for the franchise's rebuilding process.
Last month, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders claimed that the Lakers forward Brandon Bass is likely to be moved before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
Bass is part of the Lakers' crowded frontcourt and has not received ample playing time ever joining LA in the offseason. He signed with the Lakers for a two-year $6 million contract, but has a player option next season, making him the likely trade candidate, alongside Roy Hibbert and Nick Young.
Trading Bass won't probably get the Lakers some quality pieces in return, but according to Cody Williams of Lake Show Life, the Lakers could send Bass to the Atlanta Hawks, which could potentially turn into a chance of acquiring Al Horford.
"In terms of what a potential trade between the Lakers and Hawks involving Bass would look like, there's a number of areas that LA could look," Williams noted.
"They could look to put together a package for the likes of Horford (especially if they plan to target the big man in 2016 free agency), but they could also potentially benefit from acquiring young assets like Tim Hardaway Jr. or Muscala."
One possible trade scenario that succeeds ESPN's trade machine is the Lakers sending Bass and Young for Horford, who enters next season as an unrestricted free agent. The deal could make sense for the Hawks if they feel Horford would look for more lucrative deals outside of Atlanta this summer.
As noted by Williams, Bass would provide the Hawks depth in their frontcourt rotation and would serve as the first option off the bench. Meanwhile, Young gives Atlanta another outside threat, which comes in handy with Kyle Korver struggling from the three-point area.
As for the Lakers, trading for someone like Horford would give the team some leverage to attract other top free agents to play in LA.
The Lakers are no strangers on making a splashy move in the trading season, but it could take more than Bass if Los Angeles wish to pull off such deal.